Morning Star: Part 1
by DarkUnderworld
Summary: Raphael nearly kills a woman, never realizing that her Fate is tightly intertwined with his and his brothers. An echo of another world is twisting their Fate in a way that will take them through Heaven, Hell and to Darkness. Part 2&3 up!
1. Chapter 1

Hello all, This is a sneak peak at my new fic. It is stand alone fic, so can be read even if you have not read With Death We Met, or Darkness and Light, However, that said , the characters from both fics will eventually appear in this fic. So it can be considered a sequal but not...

Please enjoy!=)

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Chapter 1

Raphael was panting hard. His blood was roaring through his ears, his heart was pounding in his chest. He had just run flat out for ten blocks and he swore he could still hear the drumming of racing of footsteps behind him.

He had ducked into a dark, reeking, side alley, the night cloaking him from prying eyes. He looked down at his leg and grimaced. He was bleeding pretty bad, his arm wasn't doing so well either. Rage burned through him at the thought of having to retreat. The Red Dragons had been out in full force. He hadn't expected so many. He had decided to blow off some steam, get away from Leonardo's constant lecturing about how irresponsible he was. He closed his eyes in frustrated anger. And now when he got back, Leonardo was going to rip a strip off him for exactly what he had been lecturing him about.

He opened his eyes. He needed to get back to the lair, but he hadn't found the opportunity yet. The Red Dragons just didn't seem to want to give up.

He could hear it then, the running of feet hitting pavement hard. Raphael tried to slow his breathing. "Fine if they want a fight, I'll give them a fight." He growled to himself and hoped it wouldn't be his last.

He clutched his sais tightly in his hands. He listened intently, waiting for just the right moment to strike. His vision wavered. He shook his head trying to clear it. _Had he really lost that much blood?_ He wondered to himself as he heard the footsteps getting nearer. He couldn't tell how many of them there were, the sound echoing off the brick walls. He figured that if they had split up there were at least a few of them.

_Now!_ He thought to himself as he leapt around the corner surprising his pursuers. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt his sai strike and enter soft flesh.

A young woman looked at him in wide eyed surprise. Raphael felt his entire world shift. Her eyes drifted down to where his sai had plunged itself into her flesh. She suddenly slumped to the ground.

Raphael grabbed at her as she fell. He looked at her in shock. He looked over her frantically. "No." He whispered. "No." He whispered in horror as he realized he had just stabbed an innocent bystander.

Raphael felt his world swim and the bile rise in his throat.

He picked her up, his frantic thoughts swirled together into a pinpoint focus of getting back to the lair, getting her to Donatello. He began to run, as he begged her to survive.

"Donny!" Raphael's voice roared. Donatello grimaced. Raphael and Leonardo had been fighting and Raphael had stormed off to do exactly what it was Leonardo was yelling at him for doing in the first place. Leonardo was angry and upset because Raphael was going on solo runs during the night, even though he knew that there had been an increase in Red Dragon gang activity.

He wondered if he could just ignore his older brother. "Donny!" Raphael's voice broke in panic. Donatello dropped his tools. It was unlike Raphael to sound that frightened. Actually Donatello didn't think he had ever heard that level of panic in his brother's voice.

Donatello ran from his workroom and took in the scene before him. Raphael was standing with someone in his arms. Raphael's leg and arm were red with blood.

"Donny...I ...I ...Help." He pleaded.

"What's going on?" Leonardo asked as he emerged from his bedroom.

Raphael ignored Leonardo as he took one wobbly step forward. "I...I...didn't mean..." He stammered.

"What the hell are you doing bringing an injured girl here Raph. Don't you know how dangerous it is. If she's hurt you should have just left her for the humans to look after!" Leonardo yelled at Raphael. "You should have called 911."

"What's going on?" Michelangelo asked sleepily as he emerged from his bedroom.

"Raph what happened?" Donatello asked as he quickly approached his brother. Raphael was covered in blood, some of it his own, most of it not. Donatello checked the woman's pulse. It was weak, but still there. He moved her coat out of the way and that is when he saw his brother's sai sticking out from her left lower abdomen.

"Oh no Raph, what did you do?" Donatello asked in horror."Workroom now!" Donatello said urgently. Raphael managed to get the woman onto the table he used to stitch his brothers up. They managed to wrestle the backpack off of her back so they could lay her down flat. He looked at the girl's wound. He grabbed a pair of scissors and cut away her shirt so he could see the damage. Lower abdomen wounds were often fatal.

Raphael had been smart enough to leave the sai in, which meant that he hadn't made the wound worse, but still. He shook his head. "I don't have the equipment to deal with something like this." He said shaking his head, panic starting to course through him.

He looked at his brother's face which was a mask of agony. "Donny, please try." Raphael begged him. Donatello closed his eyes. Either way she was probably dead. "Leo's right. You should have taken her as close as you could to a hospital Raph." Donatello said quietly. "Or called 911."

"I didn't think I...I panicked." Raphael stammered as Donatello looked at the sai. _It wasn't as if he had any equipment to view the damage caused by the sai. All he could do was hope that she didn't bleed to death._ He thought to himself as he removed the weapon. He put the bloody sai aside.

"Raphael this is exactly what..." Leonardo began, but stopped as Raphael wobbled slightly. His eyes rolled up into his head and he fell to the floor unconscious.

"Damn it!" Donatello swore. Swearing was not something he did often, but he felt it was warranted. He looked over his brother's wounds grimly.

"These are bad Leo." Donatello whispered. "Get a compress, try to stop the bleeding. I'll stitch him up after I try to help her." He said as he turned his attention back to the woman.

Donatello's eyes frantically searched the wound. It had struck far enough to the side that it was possible it had missed her internal organs. He looked again and swore. "He hit her liver." He applied pressure on the wound. There wasn't much he could do outside cutting her open and finding out how bad the trauma to the liver was. If it wasn't that bad, and if the bleeding stopped, she would recover. However if the laceration was bad enough she would just bleed out. Of course even if she didn't die immediately, there was always the possibility of infection. He explained this to Leonardo.

They had put Raphael on a cot that had been set up. He got Michelangelo to apply pressure to the Woman's wound and went to make sure Raphael was going to be okay.

Leonardo looked at him worriedly. "He'll be fine, but he needs to rest, he's lost a lot of blood." Donatello said grimly as he turned towards the woman. All he could do now was stitch her up and hope that she pulled through.

"I don't suppose she is a Red Dragon?" Leonardo asked Donatello hopefully. "Maybe it was self defence?"

Donatello shrugged. He wasn't sure.

"She's got a purse." Michelangelo said pointing to a blood covered green cloth purse that was still slung over her shoulder.

Leonardo grimly looked at the purse and opened it. He pulled out a wallet and shuffled through it.

"Katherine Brooks, age 21, University student from Canada." Leonardo said quietly. He pulled out a ticket. "Went to the American Museum of Natural History this evening." He said quietly putting her wallet back into her purse.

"Leo if she dies..."Donatello began.

"I know Donny." Leonardo whispered bleakly.

Raphael had never killed anyone. None of them had. Donatello knew that it would be inevitable that one day, one of them was going to end up killing someone, either purposely or accidentally. But if the first person Raphael ended up killing was just an innocent woman who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time...well he didn't know how that would affect his brother.

It had been several hours and Donatello had finally convinced Leonardo to go to bed. Leonardo had wanted to stay up and keep watch, both over the woman, and Raphael, but he had managed to convince him that he could take second watch. Michelangelo had looked worried, but had also shuffled off to bed.

Donatello looked over the woman again. Her breathing was shallow, her skin was pale to the point of being waxy, but she was still alive. It worried him however that she hadn't regained consciousness yet, although Raphael hadn't either.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He looked over the woman again. She was pretty he supposed in a human sort of way. Smooth clear skin, a cascade of brownish red hair, defined cheekbones, square jaw, pert nose and light pink cupids bow lips. Her hand twitched. He reached out and took her hand in his. An electric shock of awareness went through him. Her head rolled to the side, her eyes opening slowly. They seemed to focus slightly then she fell into unconsciousness once more. He pulled his hand away slowly. He looked at his hand as if it was somehow not his own. What was that? He wondered to himself. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. He looked down at her again. Her eyes were green, a bright beautiful moss green.

Raphael opened his eyes. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. Memory came rushing back as he sat up quickly in panic. _Was the girl dead, had he killed her?_ He looked around Donatello's workroom which was quiet and empty except for him and the pale woman who was laying next to him on a cot.

He slid from his cot and padded over to the woman. His leg was throbbing and so was his arm, but he ignored the pain as he fell to his knees in front of her.

He tentatively reached out checking for a pulse and wondering where the hell Donatello had went.

He panicked for a second when he couldn't find it, but breathed a sigh of relief as he found the fluttering beat at her wrist. He took her hand in his. Awareness raced through him. He looked at her hand in confusion. He stared down at the woman. Her head turned and she opened her eyes slightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. It was an accident. I didn't mean it." He whispered to her as he pleaded for her to live, but she had already closed her eyes. He felt his own eyes get heavy as his face fell into sheets that smelled like flowers.

Leonardo walked with Donatello into his workroom. Donatello was exhausted and needed to sleep, but he had wanted to check her one last time before he went to bed. Donatello came to an abrupt halt, Leonardo almost running into him. "What is it Donny?" He asked in confusion as he looked over his brother's shoulder.

Raphael was slumped over the cot that held the woman. He was holding her hand tightly, his other arm was partially under his head.

"Well at least he managed to regain consciousness." Donatello said checking over their brother. "But he's slipped back into unconsciousness." Donatello said softly.

"Help me move him off the floor." Donatello said to him as he attempted to remove Raphael's grip from the woman's. "What's wrong Donny?" He asked as his brother was looking at Raphael and the woman in confusion.

"They're both unconscious, but their hands, I can't get them apart without wrenching them apart and I don't want to do that and risk hurting either of them." Donatello said slowly. "We'll move the cots together."

Donatello grabbed the cot while Leonardo hefted his bulkier brother up and onto the cot. They both lay on their backs hands gripped together in the space between.

"Raph's bleeding again." Donatello said grimly.

Donatello began the task of re-stitching Raphael's wounds and re-wrapping them. Donatello looked grim the entire time. "Is he in danger Donny?" Leonardo asked with worry. "You said he'd be fine."

Donatello let out a breath. "He should have regained consciousness, which he did, obviously briefly, but he should be sleeping, not still unconscious. Maybe he lost more blood than I thought. He just reopened his wounds so of course he just lost more blood. He'll be fine, if he makes it through the night, he'll be fine." Donatello pronounced grimly.

Leonardo looked worriedly at the unconscious forms, hands clasped between them like a lifeline, as if willing the other not to die. He shook his head at the flighty thought.

It was impossible, she hadn't even regained consciousness yet, but when and if she did, it wasn't going to be pretty. There would be the inevitable look of fear, shock and horror, perhaps a little disgust, possible screaming and fainting. Although in her case her feelings would be perfectly justified since Raphael had nearly killed her. And that was only if she didn't die before she regained consciousness. This thought dragged his already heavy heart lower.

Raphael blurrily opened his eyes. There was noise all around him . There were panicked shouts and a noise like the buzzing of electricity. He was clutching something cold in his hand. He slowly sat up and looked at the chaos around him. Donatello was looking frantic as was Leonardo. Michelangelo looked pale, worried, and a little ill.

"Clear!" Donatello yelled. Then there was the sound of a thump.

He was clutching the woman's hand tightly. There was blood everywhere. Donatello was holding the paddles of a machine, what was it called, a defibrillator. The woman's shirt had been ripped open. Leonardo was trying to stop the bleeding from the stab wound he had given her.

Raphael looked at her in horror. She was going to die. She was going to die and it was going to be all his fault. He clutched her hand tighter. "You don't get to die." He growled at her. "You hear me, you don't get to die!"

"Clear!" Donatello said again her body leapt from the table.

Leonardo felt for a pulse. "She's got a pulse!" He said with shock and relief.

Donatello put the paddles back in their slots, looking relieved, but strained and pale.

"I'm not a surgeon Leo. The best we can hope for is her bleeding stops and she doesn't haemorrhage or go into cardiac arrest again either." Donatello looked exhausted.

Donatello met his eyes and they widened in shock.

"Raph?" He asked. "You're awake." He said with surprise.

Raphael nodded. He looked at the small delicate hand in his larger three fingered calloused grasp. He gently lay her hand down at her side.

"How do you feel?" Donatello asked walking over to him.

"Weak, tired." He grumbled. Donatello nodded. "How is she Donny?" He asked.

Donatello paused, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Not good Raph." He said softly.

Raphael nodded curtly. Sadness and guilt weighed down on him.

"Raph can I talk to you?" Leonardo growled at him. He looked at his older brother. He knew the lecture that was about to begin. He knew his brother was going to yell at him for disobeying him and running off. And for once he knew he deserved every single harsh, reproving, whip like word that was going to come from his brother's mouth.

He looked at his brother, begging him to chew a strip off him because he deserved so much more than just a lecture.

Leonardo studied his face, closed his eyes, then said "Later. Get some rest before you fall over."

Raphael shook his head. "I can't Leo, what if I go to sleep and..and she...then I'll have missed...I...I want to be here, I have to be here when..." His voice broke.

Leonardo nodded in grim understanding.

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Please read and review! and yes I know I called them Red Dragons instead of Purple dragons, that was on purpose.=)


	2. Chapter 2

Alrighty chapter 2 up yay! Anyway just a warning, my stories tend to be long,=) And if anyone is waiting for my characters from my previous fics to pop in, it may be a while. Anyway enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated!

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Chapter 2

"I don't care Donny." Leonardo said in frustration. "He hasn't slept in two days. I get it, he needs to keep watch so that if she dies he is witness to what he did, but having him get sick won't help either of them." Leonardo growled at his younger brother.

Donatello sighed in capitulation. They had been fighting for the last day over what to do with Raphael. He had sat by the woman's bed for two days straight and he was going to collapse if they didn't do something to make him sleep so that his wounds could heal.

"Fine." Donatello said, as he walked away to slip his brother some sleeping medication. The woman was still alive and Donatello said this was a good sign. She wasn't out of danger yet, wouldn't be until she regained consciousness and was free of any possibility of infection.

Leonardo walked into Donatello's workroom where Donatello was coaxing Raphael to drink a glass of water. Once this was done all they had to do was wait until the drugs kicked in.

Leonardo sat down on a chair with a book. He glanced over at the pile of cut up bloody clothing still sitting on the table. They had had to cut her clothes off. Some of them had been in the way, the rest were sopping wet with blood. The clothes and purse sat there at the table like an accusation of murder. She wasn't dead yet, but things could change.

Michelangelo walked in. He was looking grim and tired. They all were. They looked at Raphael as he finally slumped over. Donatello and Michelangelo heaved their brother up and took him silently to his room. Leonardo knew Raphael was going to be furious when he woke up, but he didn't care. It was for the best. He only hoped she didn't die while Raphael was sleeping, otherwise his brother may never forgive him.

He wanted to yell and rage at his brother for what he had done. It was exactly this sort of reckless behaviour that he had lectured Raphael about, but his lectures only seemed to drive his hot-headed brother into more of a reckless rage.

Leonardo closed his eyes. He wanted to yell, but he couldn't. Not when he had seen the devastated, agonized look in his brother's eyes. No amount of lecturing could compare with the lesson Raphael was learning right now.

He opened his eyes as Michelangelo entered the room clutching something in his hand. "Where's Donny?" Leonardo asked.

"I got him to go lay down for a while. He's beat." Michelangelo said to him with a shrug. Michelangelo looked down at the unconscious woman. "Hey Leo, can you help me with something?" He asked him in a tentative voice.

"Sure Mikey, what's up?" He asked putting his book down.

"Can you help me put these on her?" He asked showing him a pair of boxer shorts.

Leonardo sat up straighter. "What are you doing going through my underwear drawer Mikey?" he hissed.

"Well you're the only one who wears boxers. Donny and I wear briefs and Raph wears boxer briefs, so the closest thing to shorts we have lying around are your boxers."

He said reasonably.

Leonardo rubbed the bridge between his eyes. "Okay, but why do you want to put boxers on her?"

"Well she's naked right?"

"Right."

"So when she wakes up she's going to be naked." He said to him slowly.

"Yes Mikey, we've established that, get to the point."

"Well, she had clothes on when Raph stabbed her, then she's going to wake up in a strange place completely naked. Don't you think that would be a little...uncomfortable?"

Leonardo sighed. "I suppose so Mikey, but she's still going to be mostly naked."

"I know and if we could get a shirt on her that would be great, but I know we can't, so I figured the least we could do is sorta cover her up so she doesn't think...you know, that we were peeking or something." He said desperately. Leonardo blinked in confusion. "Leo think about it. You wake up naked surrounded by a bunch of guys. I'd be wondering why all my clothes were gone."

He blinked at his little brother. "Mikey!" He said in shock.

"Well its true Leo. Think about it, she might not even remember Raph stabbing her, so she's gonna wake up, naked, in a strange place, surrounded by guys."

"Okay, okay Mikey." He said pacifying his brother who was beginning to get worked up. Sometimes it was just easier to go with Mikey on his wild starts then try to talk him out of something. "But Mikey we aren't human. There is no way that she would think that we were wanting to peek. For one thing it isn't like we are even remotely attracted to human..." He pulled the sheet back revealing the woman. "...women." He finished lamely as his body reacted to her even before his brain had time to register what he was seeing.

She was no longer lying in a flat prone position. Her head was tilted slightly to the side. Her hair a silken cloud of gold, copper and russet waves. Her skin no longer had the waxy appearance of a few days ago, instead it was a healthy pale peaches and cream. Long dark lashes lay against cheeks that looked as smooth as velvet. A hand lay near her head half curled while her other arm lay on her hip. He followed her arm down, past round well proportioned breasts, only accented by the bandages wrapped below them. His eyes trailed down a soft but firm belly to the patch of hair between legs that were delicately feminine. His hands itched to touch all of that bare skin just to see if it really was as soft as it looked.

"Hand me the boxers Mikey." His voice didn't sound normal, it sounded a little too high in pitch. Michelangelo handed over his boxers. He managed to thread her legs through the boxers and bring them up to her thighs. He swallowed, licked his suddenly dry lips and pull the boxers under her ass and up to her waist. They were too big of course but he supposed it was better than nothing. He threw the sheet back over her unconscious form. He stalked out of the room only to return a few moments later with one of his shirts.

"Whatcha got there Leo?" Michelangelo asked. He pulled the sheet back again and put his shirt over her torso. He had placed it backwards so the buttons were to the back. He put an arm through each sleeve, tucked the sides of the shirt around her as best he could, and surveyed his handiwork. "Good idea Leo." Michelangelo said impressed.

Leonardo nodded. It wouldn't win any fashion awards but at least she wasn't completely naked anymore. The woman moaned a little. Leonardo tried and failed to control his body's reaction to the woman. Actually having her wearing his clothes was somehow worse. "I'll be in the training area if you need me Mikey." He managed to say as he stalked out of Donatello's workroom.

_What was the matter with him?_ He wondered to himself as he unsheathed his swords. He began doing a series of practice routines, hoping to tire his body out and get whatever was happening to him under control. He knew he was aroused, he was male after all, but he had never had that reaction when he had looked at a human before. He had known April for years and never once felt anything other than friendship towards her. He had seen humans on TV and watched them from rooftops, but they had never elicited a single sexual response in him.

He was dripping with sweat by the time Michelangelo walked into the training room.

"You've never really thought about it have you?" Michelangelo asked surprised.

He swung his Katanas in a wide arc. "Thought about what Mikey?" He asked, but knew exactly what his little brother was asking.

"About being with a human." He said to him.

"Why would I think about being with a human Mikey?" Leonardo growled at him.

"Maybe because they do make up most of the world's population." He said crossing his arms over his chest.

Leonardo closed his eyes and sheathed his swords. "Mikey, what would be the point of thinking about something that is a complete and total impossibility? Did you forget that we are hidden from the human world? We watch it, we fight for it, but we are not a part of it."

"But we have human friends Leo." Michelangelo said sounding slightly hurt.

"Emphasis on the word 'friend'. No human woman is ever going to look at us as anything more than that!" He yelled at his little brother. Michelangelo's eyes widened in shock. Leonardo's shoulders slumped."I'm sorry Mikey, I didn't mean it." Michelangelo nodded his head, but left the training room without a word.

He grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. He walked back into Donatello's workroom. He didn't know why, but he was angry. He stomped over to the cot where the woman lay. She turned her head towards him and opened her eyes. They were a brilliant moss green . Her brow furrowed in confusion. He didn't think about it, just reacted, his anger vanishing completely. He knelt down took her hand in his. "You're safe." He said softly to her.

She looked down at her hand in his. His three fingered green one holding her delicate human hand in his. It looked so wrong.

She looked up at him, brow furrowed in confusion. She pulled her hand away from his grasp and for reasons he couldn't even understand his hand felt empty without it. She reached up slowly until her fingers lightly brushed his cheek. A shock of awareness blazed through him. It was so intense he nearly fell backwards. She didn't seem frightened, she didn't seem disgusted, all she seemed was a little confused. She nodded slowly, hand falling back down to her side, eyes slowly closing.

Leonardo stood up and walked to the kitchen his thoughts in a jumbled whirl. Donatello was scrounging in the fridge for food. "I thought you were sleeping Donny?" Leonardo asked.

Donatello shrugged. "I slept a little, checked on Raph who is thankfully still sleeping. He was exhausted Leo, I should have listened to you sooner."

"Don't worry about it Donny. The important thing is that he is resting and that he will recover. Speaking of recovering, she opened her eyes. She didn't say anything, but she was conscious for a moment." He said to his brother.

Donatello nodded as he began digging into a mid-afternoon snack.

"Hey Donny?" He asked his brother who seemed a little distracted.

"Yeah?" He asked as he dug into his leftover Chinese food.

"You ever think about being with a human?" He asked.

Donatello paused food halfway to his mouth. He put the food back uneaten. "In what context do you mean 'with'?" He asked.

"Any context Donny." He said slumping down on a chair.

Donatello rubbed his eyes. "Not really Leo." He said. "If you mean physically, we would be more than capable, but humans are hardwired to be attracted to their own species. There is the whole biological drive to mate, produce children, that sort of thing. We're reptiles, they're mammals."

"So you are saying it would be impossible for us to be attracted to humans and for humans to be attracted to us?" He asked completely ignoring the whole children issue. He had never really thought about having children, but he supposed it made sense that they would never have any families of their own. But the thought of being alone forever seemed to strike a raw spot he had never known existed.

Donatello paused before answering. He blew out a breath. "No, I'm not saying it is impossible, just highly unlikely. The problem is there are no females of...what we are I guess you could say. We are mostly humanoid so it would not be beyond the realm of possibility for us to be attracted to a human woman, however the chances a human woman could reciprocate those feelings..." Donatello shook his head.

"That's what I told Mikey." He said softly.

Donatello gave a half smile. "Mikey's been aware of human women for a while. Not too surprising since he is the one who probably watches TV the most. Raph is probably second."

"So Raph...?" He asked his brother.

Donatello shrugged. "Not sure about Raph, but Mikey's thought about it, still thinks about it. He's the one who wanted to know if we were physically compatible."

"How'd you even figure that one out?" Leonardo asked curious.

Donatello blushed slightly. "The internet." He said with a slight cough.

Leonardo stood up slowly and nodded.

"Where you going Leo?" He asked.

"I feel like I need some fresh air." He said walking towards the garage where they kept all of their vehicles. He looked at Raphael's bike, grabbed his trench coat, pulled his arms through the sleeves, put Raphael's helmet on, started up the bike and swung his leg over the seat. It roared beneath him. He smiled and punched it. Tires squealed as he raced into the cool late September day.

He rode back into the lair a few hours later. He had done some serious thinking as he had rode the streets of Manhattan. He wished their father, Master Splinter was around to talk to. Leonardo did not think he would have been able to help with the current problem anyway, but he still missed his father's advice. He had passed away two years ago, and sometimes it felt as if it was only yesterday.

He pulled off his helmet and got off the bike. He could hear voices raised in anger. It sounded as if Raphael had woken up and he was furious. Leonardo shook his head, he felt reluctant to deal with his hot-headed brother. Instead he walked into Donatello's workroom. It was empty except for the woman, which meant that Donatello and Michelangelo were both trying to keep Raphael in his room.

He looked at the woman on the cot. Her face looked a little more flushed than when he had seen her a few hours ago. She turned her head and looked at him. She whispered something. He blinked, leaning down to hear what she had said.

"Water." She whispered.

Leonardo stood up swiftly and looked around the lab. There was a bottle of water sitting on the table. It was Donatello's and he had been drinking from it, but otherwise he would have to leave and come back. He grabbed the bottle. She was struggling to sit up. He rushed to help her sit. She winced in pain as he slid behind her, supporting her while she drank thirstily. Her naked back was pushed up against his chest, her head cradled in his shoulder. She gave the water bottle back. He put it on the floor. His movement shifted her more into his body. Her head lay in the crook his bare neck. "You're nice and cool." She whispered.

He looked down at her in shock. She was warm. He clutched her a little closer. In fact she was very warm. He looked at her. Her eyes were closed, lashes brushing against an overly flushed face.

"Leo, what are you doing!" Raphael yelled at him.

Leonardo looked at Raphael in panic. "Get Donny, get Donny now!" He yelled at his brother.

Raphael looked at him in shock, turned and limped a few steps out the door calling for Donatello.

Raphael limped back into the room and Donatello and Michelangelo rushed in after him.

Donatello took one look at her flushed face. "She's got a fever." He said grimly.

"Which means what?"Raphael asked.

"It means she's got an infection. Her body is trying to fight it off. We have to get some antibiotics into her now." He said grabbing a needle and injecting her with antibiotics. "We are going to need more blankets. We need to try to keep her warm and hydrated. She may start thrashing around, and we don't want her ripping open her stitches. Raph, go grab some more bottles of water, Mikey blankets." Donatello ordered.

Michelangelo ran from the room, while Raphael followed as quickly as he could. Leonardo stood laying her gently back on the cot.

Michelangelo rushed in with a pile of blankets. They threw a heavy blanket over her. She frowned and tried to push it off.

Michelangelo grabbed her hand. She stopped trying to take the blanket off. Michelangelo knelt down at her side his face turning serious.

Michelangelo was always joking, always laughing, occasionally there would be hurt or worry, but Leonardo had never seen the look of absolute seriousness he saw on his brother's face right at that moment.

Raphael limped in with a few more bottles of water. He looked at Leonardo and Donatello. "You two, go have a nap or something. Me and Mikey got this." He said as he knelt down on her other side and took her other hand.

Leonardo looked at Donatello and shrugged. He was tired, and there wouldn't be much for him to do with Raphael and Michelangelo keeping watch. "Wake us if there is any change." He said to his two brothers. They nodded their focus completely on the flushed woman's face.

* * *

Donatello went to his room but Leonardo paused outside of his. He turned and made his way back to the living room. He flopped down on the couch and took up the remote. He began perusing the channels. There were a lot of women, a lot of scantily clad woman on some of the channels. He acknowledged to himself that they were not bad he supposed, but, they just really didn't do it for him. He watched TV for a bit before turning it off. He now had a pounding headache. He didn't know how Mikey sat there and watched TV for so long. He felt as if his brain was beginning to rot. Many of the women on the TV were very pretty, and annoying. They were either dumb, or selfish or manipulative, or screechy. Yet this somehow made him feel better. Just because he was attracted to her didn't mean anything when he didn't even know what kind of person she was. She was probably going to be as stupid as she was beautiful.

He went to bed feeling oddly disheartened. He shoved the feeling away and drifted off to sleep.

Katherine groaned. She felt like crap. Her mouth was dry, she was twenty times way too hot, and her body felt like she had been hit by a truck. Everything hurt, especially her right side, her head, and her chest.

She had had the strangest dream, something about...a three fingered hand that was green, and a green face with a blue mask, or was it purple, or red? She opened her eyes struggling to push a mound of blankets off her and sit up, but found the effort too painful. She turned to her right and looked into a green face with a red mask. Worried honey-brown eyes bored into hers. She blinked in shock as she realized she hadn't been dreaming. She stared at the face and began rearranging her entire world view.

She closed her eyes. She was in a great deal of pain and panic bubbled up inside her. She remembered. The creature in front of her had stabbed her with something, some sort of weapon. Although it had seemed as shocked about it as she was. She grabbed her panic rolling it into a little ball and threw it into a box in her head. Panicking would not help her at the moment. It would be much better just to figure out what was going on, and take her little ball of panic out to be examined at a later date.

She opened her eyes and said the first thing that came to mind. "You stabbed me." She accused.

A three fingered had reached up and touched her forehead. "She doesn't feel hot anymore." He said ignoring her. The deep timber of his voice confirmed her impression of maleness. His voice was gruff and rather pleasant. He talked in what she guessed was a New Jersey accent.

"I'll get Donny." Came a voice from her left. She looked over at the retreating back of another green skinned creature with an orange mask. She assessed the figure that was standing in the doorway calling for someone named Donny. He was wearing grey sweats but no shirt. The shell on his back was plain to see. She turned back to the creature who had ignored her accusation. He was wearing a brown hoodie and blue jeans. She scanned the room where she was laying. It seemed to be some sort of workroom/lab/garage. There were test tubes, beakers, machine parts, broken appliances, a computer and books that were haphazardly piled everywhere.

"Has she said anything?" Another creature asked as he entered the room with the orange masked one. This one wore purple. Another one wearing blue walked in after the purple one.

"Only that I stabbed her." The red one said.

The purple one knelt down and was looking at her. He touched her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. "Well she remembers you stabbing her so that is a good thing...I guess." The purple one said.

"Do you remember what happened?" The purple one asked gently.

Katherine reached out a hand touching the purple one's cheek. His skin was textured, cool to the touch, but not unpleasant. Somehow the sensation felt familiar as if she had done it before. She closed her eyes leaning in closer to him, hand still touching his face.

"Are you..." The purple one began, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"I'm trying to remember what I can't remember." She said softly. "I remember...you. You were the one who saved me." She pulled her hand away from his face. "You told me not to die." She said, eyes still closed she pointed to the red one. "You said I was safe." She pointed to where she could feel the blue one standing. "And you were the one who was talking non-stop when I woke up." She said pointing at the orange one. She opened her eyes and focused on the red one. "It was you they were after, the men with guns." She frowned. "And you were hurt."

"I...yes." The red one said nodding in confusion. "But how...? He asked.

"They were screaming something about turtle freaks. But when I ran from them they began chasing me." She said in confusion. She was starting to feel tired and the pain was getting harder and harder to ignore. Her brain quickly processed the facts. She closed her eyes as she thought furiously. She felt as if she was underground. By the smell she would guess some sort of abandoned sewer. She was surrounded by walking talking turtles who appeared to wish her no harm. She reassessed that thought. No they did not mean her any harm. She opened her eyes again.

"I don't get it. What did you just do?" The red one asked. She looked blurrily at him. "And why aren't you freaking out?"

"Sometimes you can remember things better if you can't see them. Your other senses can trigger a memory. I remember the sound of your voices, and each of you smells different." She said painfully. Sleep or possibly unconsciousness was trying to drag her down again. She didn't think that would be such a bad thing at the moment. It hurt too much to be conscious.

She tried to lay back down but winced in pain. She felt where there were a bunch of bandages wrapped around her lower chest. The red one helped her lay down. "Sorry, but I hurt." She said clenching her teeth in pain. "Red smelled like blood and sweat and steel and leather. Blue smelled like sweat and steel and tea. Purple smelled like grease and burnt metal, and chemicals. Orange smelled like food, really greasy food like chips and pizza."

She furrowed her brow trying to think past the fuzziness that had enveloped her brain. "What was the other question again...oh yeah, why would I freak out?" She asked in confusion closing her eyes. "Seems kind of a silly thing to do, it just wastes time and energy. Much easier just to figure out the situation. I'm not dreaming, so you are real. Red stabbed me and said it was an accident, wrong place wrong time." She opened her eyes again. "I seem to be safe, I'm not being held prisoner. And I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for who and what you are. Quicker to find that out if I'm not freaking out." She slurred. "_There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt in your philosophy'_. Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5. Um...I think I'm going to probably pass out now." She said as she lapsed into unconsciousness again.

* * *

Donatello looked at the woman in shock. It took all of his willpower not to touch the spot where the woman had touched his cheek. The fission of awareness that had shot straight through him startling him.

"That was...interesting." Raphael observed.

"She didn't freak out." Michelangelo said in surprise.

"I think she was half asleep Mikey. Don't think too much about it. She probably thought she was dreaming." Donatello said to him.

"But..." Michelangelo protested.

"No buts Mikey." Leonardo growled. "Come on, it's been a long couple days and everyone needs some sleep."

Raphael stood and slumped onto the cot that was close to her. "I'll just sleep here." He said laying down. "We don't want her wakin up and wandering around."

"I don't think that she'll be wandering much of anywhere Raph." Donatello observed but stood to go to bed anyway.

Leonardo glared at Raphael but followed him out.

'What do you think Donny?" Leonardo asked him.

"Not sure." He said. "Her fever is gone which is good, but I'm really not sure if she was completely awake."

"So she may freak out in the morning, if she wakes up in the morning." Leonardo asked her.

He shrugged. "Possibly, but we won't know anything until morning so the best we can do is just get some rest."

Leonardo nodded, walked to his bedroom and closed the door. Donatello walked into his room, closed the door and sat on his bed. He touched the spot on his cheek where she had touched him. Was he just imagining it or was it still warm from her touch? Donatello shook his head. He was obviously exhausted. He undressed, put on his sweats and lay down in his bed. He closed his eyes to sleep, but Leonardo's question from earlier in the day kept intruding. Had he ever thought about being with a human? No. He answered truthfully. Everything he had told Leonardo was truth. The problem was, just because your brain told you a human would never feel anything for a creature such as himself besides friendship, didn't mean your body and heart would listen.

He turned onto his side. It wouldn't matter anyway. In a few days she would be gone and his nice little, well ordered, logical existence would be restored.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is up and ready to go! Please enjoy and any reveiws are incredibly appreciated!

* * *

Chapter 3

"You're snoring." A feminine voice said from close by.

"No I'm not." Raphael grumbled.

"Not you, him." She grumbled back.

Raphael heard it then, the rumbling snore of his baby brother. He was a little surprised, but not overly shocked that Michelangelo was in the room.

"Hey Mikey, shut it!" He said raising his voice slightly.

The snoring continued. "It's like trying to wake a rock." Raphael grumbled. "Just kick him or something." Raphael said as he rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. His eyes flew open. "You're awake?" He said with surprise as he rolled over and sat up.

"Unfortunately" Came the grumbled reply from beneath a pile of blankets.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he knelt down beside her.

"I don't want to think about it." She said pulling back the covers. "Everything hurts." She looked over at him. "I'd kick him, but he's too far away."

Raphael stood, his leg burning as he did so. He limped over to the other side of the cot. "Wake up Mikey." He said pushing his brother with his good leg. Michelangelo looked blearily up at him. "You're snoring." He said to him.

Michelangelo sat up and yawned. "Sorry." He said sheepishly. "Hey you're awake." He said to the woman.

"No thanks to you shell for brains." Raphael glared at him.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked softly.

"You've been here for three days." Raphael said to her wondering if she was going to freak out. Instead she just nodded.

"I've been checking the news, no one has reported you missing." Michelangelo said to her. Raphael looked at him in surprise. He hadn't even thought about it. Of course there would be people looking for her and worried about her. Family, friends, maybe even a boyfriend. He looked at her tousled hair and flushed face and wondered why the thought of her having a boyfriend bothered him so much.

She looked at both of them, as if assessing them. Her calm green gaze met his and he felt as if she were ripping away every barrier he had ever erected and peered into his very soul. Her gaze flicked away. It was then he realized what Michelangelo had said an realized how it may have sounded. He hit Michelangelo up the side of the head.

"Ow, what was that for?" Michelangelo asked rubbing his head.

"Because what you just said didn't sound creepy or anything. We are trying to convince her that we are trying to help her. Not scare the crap out of her." He looked back at her. Not that she seemed scared, which was a little odd.

She seemed to think about it for a second then shook her head. "No one would be looking for me." Her gaze went to the door where Donatello had just walked in, Leonardo following close on his heels.

"Why wouldn't anyone be looking for you, are you all alone?" Michelangelo asked.

"Well I came to New York by myself." She said looking up at Donatello. Donatello handed her a bottle of water and then helped her to sit up. She looked at the bottle and unscrewed the lid. She took a quick drink and put the cap back on. Her gaze steadily assessed both Donatello and Leonardo. Each of them seemed transfixed for a few moments as she considered them.

"My great Uncle Carin Ráth recently passed away, and for reasons completely beyond me or anyone in my family, he left me his house and I am the sole beneficiary of his Will. Carin apparently didn't have any wife or kids and no other family but my mom. Why he left it to me rather than my dad, or my younger brothers I have no idea. I've never met him and no one in my family has either." She shook her head."Anyway I flew into New York, and I was going to rent a car to go out and see the place. I mean truthfully, I'm probably just going to sell it because what am I going to do with it? I'm Canadian and have no real use for a place here. Besides the sale of the house would pay for my tuition for the next few years. Anyway I flew in, decided to do the tourist thing for the day, was going to stay in a hotel and rent a car the next day because it's a two hour drive up the NY 23A highway. I planned to inspect the place, go through Uncle Carin's things and try to find a lawyer because there has got to be a bunch of legal stuff I don't even know about." She said shaking her head.

"Anyway I stayed too long at the museum. I was wandering around trying to find a hotel when I ran into the men with the tattoo's and guns, after that I just ran." She sighed.

"So are you a Drama major or something?" Leonardo asked suddenly.

She turned large green eyes on him. "Drama? Oh the Hamlet quote." She said thinking. She moved, then winced in pain. "I have so many Shakespearian quotes floating around in my head, mostly because we had to learn them in high school. Not a big fan of his plays, but the man could write, and he could turn a phrase like no one's business, so no, I am majoring in Anthropology." She said with a shrug.

"What's that?" Raphael asked.

"The study of human beings." Donatello supplied while standing up and looking at Raphael. She nodded. "Shirt off Raph, I want to check your arm and we'll get to your leg too," Donatello said to him as he hopped up on Donatello's worktable.

"You were hit in the arm?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, stupid Red Dragon got a knife in my arm and leg." Raphael grumbled pulling off his shirt.

Her brow furrowed. "Deltoid or bicep?" She asked. Raphael blinked at her. "Deltoid." Donatello supplied looking at her. She nodded thoughtfully. "And he was hit in the upper thigh?" Donatello nodded again. "His femoral artery wasn't hit was it?" She asked Donatello.

"No," Donatello said slowly paying more attention to the woman. "The knife missed it, but he lost a lot of blood." She nodded again.

"What kind of Anthropology are you taking?" Donatello asked with interest as he began unwrapping the bandage around Raphael's arm.

"Archaeology, specifically mortuary archaeology, so I've taken a few osteology classes, a few pathology classes, a few forensic anthropology classes and an anatomy class or two thrown in for good measure."

"Did you understand a single thing she just said?" Michelangelo asked. She just smiled, the smile reaching her eyes.

"She is studying different human culture's burial and funerary practices. So she has studied the human skeleton, what disease can do to effect the bones of a skeleton, as well as courses that would allow her to determine cause of death if the evidence was still evident on the bones, and I know you know what anatomy is." Donatello said studying and bandaging his arm back up.

She nodded. "I took this semester off to deal with the whole inheriting a house in a different country thing, but next semester I have been accepted to go on an archaeological dig in England. They have uncovered a medieval cemetery and are estimating around 200 individuals may have been buried there." She said with excitement.

Donatello turned and looked at her. He was wearing a thoughtful, abstracted expression. "That is exciting." He said. "Pants Raphael." Donatello said not really paying any attention to what he was doing anymore.

"What?" Raphael said in shock. He didn't want to have to take his pants off in front of the woman.

But Donatello wasn't paying attention anymore. "Why did you choose Anthropology?" He asked curious.

She laughed again. "Because I wasn't smart enough to become a palaeontologist. I love dinosaurs, but I would have to enter into the sciences and it just isn't my thing. Biology I'm pretty good with, but anything mathematical, I am completely lost." She paused in thought as Donatello looked back at him.

"Raph, I can't look at your leg through your pants." He complained.

Raphael grumbled but stripped down to his boxer-briefs. He hopped back up on the table and wondered how long he was going to have to sit in his underwear until his brother remembered he existed again.

"The dinosaur exhibit at the museum was not bad, but the one we have back home is better, since you can actually watch the palaeontologists working. The Tyrell Museum rocks. It's right in the badlands so everywhere you step you could be stepping on dinosaur fossils." She said excitedly.

Raphael looked at Donatello and knew his brother was gone. His focus was now completely on the woman sitting on the cot. She had him at dinosaurs. They all knew about his interest in dinosaurs and it was one he himself couldn't understand.

"You've been to the Tyrell Museum?" Donatello asked in awe.

"Hey Donny, leg, remember." He said trying to gain his brother's attention.

"A few times, in fact I think I still have some pictures on my camera, which should be in my bag." She said with a smile. "If you want we could hook it up and I could show you." Donatello blinked in surprise. "But maybe later since...um...Raph? Is getting antsy."

Donatello turned his attention from the woman to Raphael. He glared at his younger brother. "Oh...right." Donatello said as he finally began unwrapping his leg to have a look.

"So what is your story?" The woman asked.

"That's easy." Michelangelo said happily. So Michelangelo told her of their mutant origins, of their father Master Splinter, a mutated rat, his death, their friends April O'Neil and Casey Jones, their fights with the Red Dragon gang and The Foot, led by The Shredder. Michelangelo told her everything but their shoe size pretty much. Well if they actually wore shoes he probably would have told her those too. She was silent throughout the whole story only nodding occasionally here and there.

Donatello finally finished wrapping his leg and he was able to put his pants back on. Luckily for him the woman seemed engrossed in Michelangelo's story.

"Okay so you are Mikey?" She asked.

Michelangelo nodded. "I'm Michelangelo, that's Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo."

"Italian renaissance artists." She said thoughtfully. "My name is Katherine. But you probably already know that." She said motioning to her open purse. Leonardo blushed. Raphael knew that a woman's purse was this mysterious thing that no man should ever look or snoop through. You never knew what you would find in there, at least that is what Casey had told them. She continued. "You can call me anything but Kathy." She said scrunching up her nose in disgust. "But my friends usually call me Kit."

"Short for Kitty?" Donatello asked.

She smiled. "Kitty is an old English shortening of Katherine, but Trevor calls me Kit which was shortened from Kitten."

"Oh, is Trevor your boyfriend?" Raphael asked and wondering why this thought bothered him. And why he was asking in the first place? She was smart and beautiful, of course she had a boyfriend.

She shook her head. 'I don't have a boyfriend." Raphael felt relief wash through him. "Trevor and I have been friends since we were 5. He always called me kitten because I was a scrapper in school." She shrugged. "Hard not to be when you are the smallest one in your class all the time." She smiled.

"Yeah, we're pretty short compared to most humans too." Michelangelo said to her.

She looked up at all of them standing around her. "I'm actually getting a crick in my neck looking up at you guys." She said with an apologetic smile. "And I'm getting a little sore sitting like this."

"We could move you to the couch." Michelangelo offered.

"That would be better." She said as her eyes fell on Donatello's workbench. Her backpack lay on the floor, but her clothes were still in a bloody pile on the workbench beside her purse. She looked down at herself. She was wearing Leonardo's shirt on backwards and Leonardo's boxers. She was oddly silent.

"We can explain..." Raphael began, wanting to explain that she had been really injured and that is why her clothes were gone.

She had begun feeling where the bandage was. She motioned for him to stop talking. He looked at Leonardo with worried eyes. His older brother had been oddly silent.

"Lacerated liver?" She asked. Donatello nodded. "Haemorrhaging?" Donatello nodded again. She touched her chest. "Cardiac arrest?" She asked softly. Donatello nodded again. He tried to read what she was thinking, was there accusation, anger, fear? But he couldn't read her, she was like a closed book. "Fever?" Donatello nodded again.

"I should have taken you to the hospital." Raphael found the words pouring from his mouth. "I should have called 911, something. You nearly died because I panicked."

She nodded her head in thought. The fact that she didn't seem to be showing any particular emotion was bothering him. "You carried me all the way here with an injured leg and arm." It wasn't a question just a statement of fact.

"I..." He began. Her eyes met Raphael's silencing him.

"You should have done those things, but I can understand why you couldn't and didn't. I would imagine the same results would have been achieved if I had have been at the hospital." She turned to Donatello. "Thank you Donatello, for saving my life. Thank you as well Raphael for helping to save it."

Raphael blinked at her in shock. "But if it wasn't for me..." He began.

"True." She said cutting him off. "But I am alive and healing, that is all that matters."

And that was it. For her that was the end of the discussion. Leonardo was looking at her as if he were assessing her.

Raphael felt a little overwhelmed. She was taking everything in stride and didn't seem to be overly emotional. He wondered if maybe she was in shock or something. He leaned over to ask Donatello if this was possible. Donatello just shrugged.

"Sorry, but I really need to call my dad." She said apologetically. "I told him I would call him in a few days, and he is probably freaking out by now. I'll give him a call, tell him what's going on, and explain that I am going to be in New York longer than I had anticipated. Donatello could you please pass me my purse?"

Donatello grabbed the purse from the worktable and handed it to her. She dug through it and pulled out a phone. She dialled a number and waited.

"Hey daddy," There was a pause. Her father was a loud talker, they could hear him through the phone.

_"Are you alright I've been worried sick!" _A panicked male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"I know, I would have called sooner, but I've been," She looked down at herself. "Indisposed."

_"Are you in the hospital, please tell me you aren't in the hospital? You were mugged weren't you, I knew I shouldn't have let you go to New York all by yourself!"_

_"_He's..." Michelangelo began.

"A little high strung." Raphael finished.

She grimaced but gave a slight smile of acknowledgement. "No dad I'm not in a hospital, and I didn't get mugged. But I haven't managed to get to Uncle Cairn's yet. I've actually met these really great guys who are letting me crash at their place at the moment while I get a few things straightened out."

The voice went suspicious. "_What do you mean guys?"_

"Guys, you know, men, males, the opposite sex of women." She said with a slight smile. Raphael felt himself blush.

_"I was a young man once young lady and I can tell you right now any young guys you run into right now are only interested in one thing."_ He growled.

She rolled her eyes but asked innocently. "And what exactly is that?"

"_Katherine don't play innocent with me. These guys who are helping you are probably only interested in getting you out of your clothes."_

Katherine looked down at herself sitting in Leonardo's boxers and backwards shirt. "Too late." She said softly as she covered her mouth so she wouldn't burst out laughing. Raphael found himself blushing even more.

_"_They are decent guys dad. And you know you couldn't have come with me anyway. You've got work and mom's out of town right now. You couldn't leave Darren and Brian all by themselves. Besides this is a good experience for me. If I can handle working on a Master's thesis proposal, I can handle finding a lawyer and straightening out Uncle Carin's estate."

_"Honey..._" He began.

"Dad, you and mom bought your first house at my age, and mom had me a year later. I can handle this. I'll give you a call again in a few days." She said coaxingly.

They could hear an exhalation of breath. "_Fine, is one of these young men around? How did you meet them and how old did you say they were again?"_

"Yes..." She said slowly as she looked at them. Michelangelo mouthed twenty five. "They are here. I sorta ran into one of them and they are 25."

"_All of them_?" Michelangelo nodded.

"Yes, they are brothers...quadruplets." She said with a grimace.

"_Shouldn't they be at work about now_?" He asked suspiciously.

"Dad you are being snoopy, they've been kind enough to take time out of their busy routine to show me some New York hospitality, be nice."

"_Fine, but let me talk to one of them_." The voice growled.

She grimaced and gave an apologetic look passing the phone to Leonardo. Leonardo looked at the phone in surprise. She mouthed the word sorry, then gave him a pleading look. Leonardo reluctantly took the phone. "Hello?" He asked.

"_Hello, I hear you are assisting daughter_?"

"Yes sir." Leonardo said into the phone.

"_Good, I'm trusting you to make sure nothing happens to her, you understand_?"

"Yes sir. I'll make sure that your daughter gets to her Uncle's house safe and sound." Leonardo said politely.

"_You sound like a nice respectful young man. If you can help her out I'd appreciate it. My daughter is very smart, got a good head on her shoulders, but she can be very naive, make sure no one takes advantage of her, understand?"_ The message of: **up to and including you and your brothers**_,_ was made very clear.

"Yes sir." Leonardo gave the phone back to Katherine. She was repressing a smile.

"I'll call you in a few days, love you too, bye." She ended the call and burst out laughing. "Ouch, ouch, laughing bad. But you should see your face right now!" She said laughing at Leonardo who was looking uncomfortable. "I shouldn't laugh, but you look like a guy who just got a surprise inspection by his girlfriend's dad." She grimaced in pain. 'Sorry, but thank you Leonardo for talking with my dad. I appreciate it."

Leonardo glared at her.

"Is your dad always so...?" Michelangelo began.

"High strung?" She finished. "Unfortunately. But he's the best." She said with a fond smile.

"So that's why you don't...freak out about things." Michelangelo asked.

"Something like that. I've had to coax my dad into some resemblance of sanity often enough to know that freaking out is just not very helpful. Although I suppose as a parent my dad will always worry about me. I am daddy's little girl, and to him I will always be 6 years old with a scrape on my knee, crying because I've fallen off my bike, and my dad is the hero, saving the day by giving me a band aid and getting me to stop crying." She said with a happy smile.

She looked down at herself again. "I think I'm going to get changed into my own clothes, if you guys have a bathroom or something I could use that would be great."

Leonardo blinked. "Of course."

"Thank you. Raphael could you please pass me my backpack. All of my clothes are in there." She said pointing to the bag on the floor.

"Wait are you saying this is your luggage, all of it?" Raphael asked in surprise.

"I packed light. I figured if there was anything I really needed I could just buy it. Besides I figure Uncle Carin's house has got to have a washer and dryer so I can do laundry if I need to." She said with a shrug.

"But...you're a chick. April's makeup bag is bigger than this thing." Raphael said in surprise. And he would know. He had seen all of the luggage April was taking on her trip with Casey. They were on a work trip/honeymoon. They weren't sure when they were getting back, but had been traveling all over Europe collecting antiques and other items for April to sell in her shop.

She looked at the bag and shrugged, opening it up. "I don't wear makeup in general. I suppose I do occasionally, but it isn't like a hair brush, foundation, eyeliner and eye shadow take up much room." She pawed through the bag. "I also have shampoo and conditioner, a razor, shaving cream, and about a week's worth of clothes."

"And that all fit in there?" He asked surprised.

"Yep." She pulled out a pair of plaid pyjama pants, a t-shirt, some lacy underwear and a pair of socks. "I think I'll be skipping the bra for a while." She mumbled to herself. "I'll need to buy a new jacket too." She said looking at the pile of bloody clothes, which had included her jacket.

"You can borrow mine." Leonardo said suddenly. "Until you can get out and buy one." He said with a shrug.

"Thank you. Um...not to be all damsel in distressy or anything, but could I get some help to the bathroom, I don't think I can manage to walk on my own."

Raphael went to grab her. "Don't even think about it." Donatello scolded him.

Leonardo leaned over and scooped her up. Her eyes widened in shock. "I didn't mean...okay." She said as Leonardo strode from the room with her in his arms.

An emotion rolled though Raphael. He wasn't really sure what emotion it was but he was not happy his brother was carrying her in his arms.

* * *

Leonardo scooped Katherine up in his arms. He didn't know why. The conversation with her father had rattled him, but he had given her father his word that he would see her to her Uncle's house safe and sound and he was going to keep his word. But this aside, he wasn't sure why he had offered her the use of his coat, or why he had taken her up in his arms.

She was warm and lighter than he had expected. She had clasped her arms around his neck and he could smell the soft scent of flowers from her. "Thank you." She said softly. "For talking to my dad."

He looked at her in shock as he gently put her down. She clung to him as she tried to take her own weight. She was pressed up against him, his boxers were nearly falling off her hips, his shirt had fallen partially forward exposing her shoulders and the pale creamy expanse of skin across her chest. He grabbed her to help her keep herself on her feet. He realized then that she was actually shorter than him by about two inches putting her height at around 5 foot exactly. His fingers brushed across the warm velvet skin across her back. She looked up in shock as she shivered. "Do you need any help?" He found himself asking gently.

"I think I may be okay. I'll call if I've fallen and can't get up." She said with a wry smile. She removed her arms from around his neck. "Wait for me?" She asked.

He opened his mouth and had to stop himself from saying _forever_. "Sure." He managed to say instead.

She managed to walk slowly on her own into the bathroom and gently closed the door.

He stared at the door as if it would give him some answers. "You just had to be smart, and funny and sweet, didn't you." He growled at the door putting his forehead against the cool wood, arms holding onto each side of the door frame.

A few minutes later she opened the door, nearly ploughing into him. She looked up at him in surprise. She was wearing black and white plaid pants and a tight fitting short pink shirt that exposed the lower part of her belly. Over that she wore his shirt. The sleeves were rolled up and she had tied the bottom of the shirt up into a knot.

"Can I keep your shirt? She asked handing him back his boxers.

He nodded numbly as his brain stopped functioning at the sight of her. "Wait, how do you know it's mine?"

"It smells like you." She said to him.

"Right sweat, steel and tea." He said to her, but she was already shaking her head.

"That is what I remember you smelling like at that moment." She leaned closer to him. "You have a musky smell mixed with a fresh spring smell, like the mountains in summer." She winced in pain. He gently picked her up. He walked into the living room and lay her gently on the couch. Michelangelo was waiting with a pillow to put behind her back to prop her up, and there was a blanket as well.

She smiled at Michelangelo." Thank you." She said including him in the smile. It was a smile that opened her whole face up like the blinding flash of the sun, and like the sun should never be looked at full on.

He turned and stumbled away. "Where you going Leo?" Michelangelo called from the couch as Raphael sat down at Katherine's feet.

He thought he managed to mumble 'to his room', as he left his two brothers sitting on the couch.

"But comics are awesome Raph." He heard Mikey say. "Just because you don't want to read them doesn't mean she wouldn't like to read them."

Leonardo paused waiting to hear a biting reply from their intelligent house guest.

Katherine laughed lightly as not to hurt herself. "Michelangelo's right, there are good ones out there. Which is your favourite Michelangelo?" Katherine asked.

"The Golden Sentry." Was the prompt reply.

Leonardo could hear the smile in her voice as she replied. "He's pretty good, but bring me my bag, I'll show you guys a real comic book."

Leonardo walked to his room then as they began debating the finer merits of comic book heroes. He threw himself down on his meditation mat. He lit some candles and tried to calm his mind and body, but he couldn't. Too many thoughts and emotions intruded. He finally gave up, blew out the candles and rummaged through his book shelves to find a book to read. After reading the same sentence over and over he threw down the book and glared at his door. Only a few more days and she would walk out of their lives, hopefully more quietly than she had entered it. He thought this would comfort him, instead he felt emptiness wash over him.


	4. Chapter 4

Alrighty chapter 4 is up and ready to go! Just a warning mild (Very mild) adult content and mutant turtle biology theory, as well as actual turtle biology. Please read and reveiw!=)

* * *

Chapter 4

Katherine closed her eyes and let Michelangelo and Raphael's conversation drift over her. She couldn't seem to get comfortable, and knew it had nothing to do with the couch and more just to do with the fact she had been stabbed. It had only been a day, but she was getting annoyed at the slow pace of her recovery.

"Are you okay?" Michelangelo asked her.

She opened an eye. "As good as I can be I suppose." She closed her eye again. "Thank you." She said politely. They really were sweet, not counting the whole stabbing incident in the first place. She opened the little box in her head and examined the absolute panic that had threatened to overwhelm her a couple days ago. She poked it and prodded the feeling. It was not really relevant anymore. Now that she understood the situation she currently found herself in, not only was the panic useless and not very helpful, she also had had no need of it in the first place. The little ball of panic vanished.

She supposed she should feel a little more weirded out by the fact that she was surrounded by mutant turtles, but if she was honest with herself it didn't really bother her all that much. The idea rather fascinated her. She had always wondered what the world would have been like if there had been another race of something, that had evolved with humans, and would have had to interact with them on an even level. Much like early how early man and Neanderthals were contemporary with each other, possibly trading, maybe even mating with each other.

Of course it wasn't as if the turtles were a whole species, there was just the four of them, but the premise was the same. Much like fantasy worlds where humans interacted with Elves and Dwarves and other creatures.

It had only been just over a day where she had been fully aware of what was going on, but the overall impression she had of the four brothers was that they were friendly, caring, open and hospitable. She was still sorting out their personalities, but Donatello seemed quiet, shy and had a keen mind; Leonardo was reserved and appeared calm but something told her that his outward appearance of calm collectedness hid a much deeper more turbulent side to his personality; Michelangelo was fun loving, playful and sweet; and Raphael, she would describe him as overly passionate about everything. She wasn't sure if it was just because Michelangelo was getting under his skin, or if it was because he was injured, but either way, anger seemed to simmer constantly just under the surface.

She settled herself deeper into the couch trying to get more comfortable. She listened to the two brothers argue and gave a smile. She gave her head a mental shake, blocked them out and went to sleep.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Donatello asked Katherine who was at the moment leaning over her bag. This would be fine if she were not fully dressed and wearing Leonardo's trench coat.

She stood up slowly and painfully. It had been a week and Donatello had learned that Katherine was smart, funny, easygoing, and had a stubborn streak a mile wide.

It was bad enough he had to deal with Raphael who had been getting moodier and moodier as the days wore on, but he also had to deal with Katherine, who was a good patient in general, but had insisted she was well enough to leave, on numerous occasions.

Donatello could have possibly taken this to mean she wanted to get as far away from them as possible. He knew having four mutated turtles suddenly thrown into her existence had to have been shocking and possibly a little overwhelming, but she seemed to have no problem with this at all. She accepted it and that was it. It was a little unnerving having someone else who tended to look at the world a little more logically. He was used to having to deal with his brothers who were often irrational and overly emotional. Leonardo tended to have a tight rein on his emotions, but he tended to act upon them anyway, whether he knew it or not. She seemed to approach situations more like he did. Analyze the situation, look for any possible solutions if needed otherwise categorize them and file them away.

This of course did not mean she was totally unemotional. She wasn't. He had seen anger and frustration flash in her eyes, but she tended not to act upon whatever negative emotion she was feeling at the moment. But with the way Raphael was acting, he knew it was going to be a short matter of time before she ripped a strip off him.

She was also prone to be completely irrational when confronted with her own body's need to heal.

"I can't just lay around here, I have things that I need to do." She grumbled.

"And just how do you suppose you are going to get anything done when you can barely stand. You're as bad as Raph." He pointed out to her. She glared at him but acknowledged the hit. "I know you are here to deal with your Uncle's house, but it can wait. You are a smart woman, I don't understand why you are trying so hard to..." Her phone began vibrating on his worktable.

Her shoulders slumped. She grimly grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hey daddy." She said with false cheer. "Yes I'm fine." She paused and listened. "No I haven't..." She winced.

Donatello gently took the phone from her surprised grasp. She wasn't going to get better if she was constantly worried that her father was going to be disappointed and frustrated with her. "Hello Mr. Brooks?"

_"Who is this?"_Asked her father's voice.

_"_This is Don." He said shortening his name, making it sound a little more mature. "I realize you must be anxious and worried about your daughter, but the thing is that she is very ill. She can barley even stand at the moment she is so sick, but she is very insistent on getting to her Uncle's house. Maybe you could convince her just rest and get better before she has to deal with her Uncle's estate."

_"How sick is she, has she seen a doctor?" _He asked in worry.

"She is being very well looked after, doctors orders are for her to rest and get better before doing anything too strenuous. I've already looked into finding a lawyer for her, as she is going to need to get information on the taxes she is going to need to pay and other legal issues that are sure to arise." Donatello said smoothly.

There was a thoughtful pause on the other end of the line. "Tell my daughter to rest until the doctor says she is well enough. Also thank you for looking into the legal aspects of the Will for her. If she had inherited the house in Canada it would have been different, but I'm not very familiar with the legal issues that could arise in the U.S."

"I will and it is my pleasure." He said as he hung up the phone. Now perhaps she wouldn't be as in a rush to get the situation with her Uncle's house dealt with, he thought as he handed her back her phone.

She looked at him in shock then gripped the phone angrily. Her reaction surprised him until he realized what he had done. Sure he had placated her father so he would no longer be breathing down her neck to get everything done and get home, but by throwing in the comment about the lawyer, he had effectively made it seem like he didn't think she could handle the situation any more than her father thought she could.

She took a deep breath in as he readied himself to have a strip torn off him. Instead she blew out her breath and nodded to him.

"Thank you." She said tersely.

"No I, I didn't mean for it to sound like I didn't think you could handle the lawyer situation." He said oddly reluctant to have her angry at him.

She looked at him with her penetrating green gaze. "I know." She said as she looked at her phone. She looked back up at him and handed her phone to him. He looked at it in confusion. He had never seen anyone so absolutely and completely in control of their emotions before. She should still be angry, but she wasn't. Instead a mischievous smiled played upon soft pink lips.

"But I supposed since you offered, you'd better get on it, doctor." She said in a low seductive voice that seemed to bypass his ears completely and strike him right in the groin. She turned and walked from the room.

He walked out of his workroom to make sure she was really going to just settle down on the couch. She could be incredibly hard to read at times. She walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later dressed in her 'jammies'. The word jammies brought to mind flannel PJ's with cute bunnies or kittens scattered all over. Her 'jammies' were just too damn revealing. The skin tight short shirt revealed every line and swell of her breasts, the pants hung way too low on curved swaying hips. Donatello closed his eyes against the image and retreated back to his workroom.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Donatello had talked with Katherine and convinced her to relax and heal And in that two weeks his life had been turned upside down. He had learned that Katherine was smart, funny, nice, sweet, and he found himself talking to her for hours. Donatello looked at his hands that had stopped their task of imputing information into the computer.

A woman was staying with them. It should have been disastrous, it should have been chaos in its purest form. There should have been nagging, there should have been feminine crap cluttering up the counter space in the bathroom. There should have been fights over the use of the bathroom since there were five people now needing to use it. But somehow it wasn't chaotic at all. There was shampoo and conditioner in the shower and that was it. No nagging, no spending hours in the bathroom either. She just didn't seem to care about her appearance at all. No makeup, no hair products, nothing.

She had only been here for two weeks and yet somehow it felt as if she had always been in their lives. She had somehow managed to insert herself right in the middle of their family and he wasn't sure how. No. He knew how, he just couldn't believe it. It shouldn't have been this easy. You shouldn't have someone literally dropped in your lap and have her be so easy to be around.

But today had really struck something within him. Katherine had just walked out from the shower. They hadn't done laundry yet so she had run out of clothes. She had borrowed a pair of Leonardo's sweat pants and a shirt. Her hair was dripping wet leaving trails of water down the grey shirt material. She had rolled the sweats up at the waist so they wouldn't fall off, but if it were even possible they hung even lower on her hips. She was in the process of tying Leonardo's shirt up as she walked to the couch.

Raphael who had been in the middle of yelling at Michelangelo, stopped mid yell and stared, completely forgetting what he had been yelling about.

Raphael blinked seemed to remember himself and turned his angry gaze back to Michelangelo. She stood in front of the couch looking down at the two fighting brothers. She looked up and caught Donatello's gaze. She looked at him accusingly as if blaming him for her having put up with a raging Raphael. Raphael had been in a frustrated rage for the last few days. He was lashing out at everyone and anyone, including on the very rare occasion Katherine, who in general, tended to ignore Raphael's bad temper.

_You expect me to sit in the middle of this?_ She asked him silently.

_Sorry_ He apologized to her.

_You are so going to owe me for this. _She answered back.

_He'll be better when he isn't in so much pain._ She looked back at him dubiously an eyebrow lifting in question_. _

_Okay, mostly better_ He silently acknowledged

She gave a wry smile of understanding.

"Raphael, American football sucks." She said, hands on her hips, a challenge in her eyes.

Raphael was so caught off guard by what she had said, that his mind looked like he had a hard time processing the sudden attack.

"What did you just say?" Raphael growled.

"You heard me. American football blows." She said with absolute seriousness, but from where Donatello was standing, he could see the devil of mischief playing in her eyes. Donatello frowned in confusion as he tried to figure out what she was doing. Why was she trying to get Raphael so worked up?

Raphael stood up menacingly his blazing brown eyes looking angrily down into hers. Katherine didn't back down. She wasn't much shorter than they were, but they outweighed her by a good 80 lbs. They were all built, but Raphael was by far the larger of all of the brothers. She should have been intimidated, hell he was intimidated by Raphael's wrath at times, only because when Raphael hit his all consuming rage, all he could see was red and any reason he possessed flew out the window.

Michelangelo had slowly stood, a worried expression on his face.

"Canadian football is better." She said to him crossing her arms in defiance.

Raphael's eyes studied her. "You think so huh?" He said to her his anger slowly ebbing to confront the challenge her words provoked.

"Absolutely. Your players are so wimpy they needed to make the playing field smaller to accommodate them."

Raphael's eyes narrowed. "What does Canada have, like two teams?"

Her eyes narrowed in return. "Eight."

"Oooo, eight whole teams." He teased.

"What we don't have in quantity we make up for in quality." She taunted.

"Fine I'll show you what a _real_ game of football looks like." He said sitting back down on the couch pulling her gently down with him. A strange looked crossed Raphael's face as he looked at her.

After listening to Raphael and Katherine talk football for a bit he had returned to his workroom. It wasn't until a few moments later he realized he had had an entire conversation with her without even speaking. He had only ever been able to do such a thing with his brothers and even then it was usually only short orders of what to do when they were fighting. He had sat down hard on his chair in shock.

He closed his eyes in remembrance and leaned back in his chair. She was ruining his concentration and she wasn't even in the room.

"Donatello?" He voice came from over his right shoulder. He nearly fell off his chair.

"Are you busy?" She asked.

He turned around and looked at her. She was still wearing Leonardo's sweats, rolled up at the waist so they hung low on her hips as well as one of Raphael's hoodies. She should have looked ridiculous, instead he had never seen anyone so beautiful and unconsciously sexy in his life.

"No." He managed to answer.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you." She said stepping near him. Her flowery scent washed over him.

"I was just working on this computer program, but I'm not making any progress, I was thinking of shutting it down for the night anyway." He said switching off the computer screen. "I thought you were watching a movie with Raph, and Mikey?" He asked.

She smiled. "A few hours ago. Everyone else is in bed. I couldn't sleep and I saw the light still on so I thought I would ask you something."

"Sure what's up?" He asked curious. "Hop up on my table, I might as well check on how you are healing." He said to her motioning for her to sit. He helped her up and just touching her hand sent a flash of heat and need through him. He tried to get himself firmly under control. It was best she left before any of them got any more attached to her than they already had. But he knew it had only been two weeks and there was really no way she would be able to be on her own yet.

She lifted her shirt and he began unwrapping her bandages, painfully ignoring the bottom curve of the breast she had unknowingly exposed.

"Lay down." He said to her. She lay on the table shirt pulled up, hair pooled around her in a cloud of silken tresses. He felt himself harden at the sight of her. He clenched his teeth together and probed her wound. "As far as I can tell it looks like it's healing well, but you are still going to have to take it easy." He said through overly dry lips. He turned away from her hoping to get himself under some sort of control.

"So were you really able to call forward that memory just by sound and smell?" He asked suddenly hoping to get her talking about something, anything, so he would be able to recover himself.

He looked back at her hoping that she would have slid from his table, but instead she was still laying on the table, staring abstractedly at the ceiling. "Yes." She said slowly. "It is funny, we as humans tend not to use our other senses very much, or rather we don't think we do, but we use them more than we think. A certain smell can be associated with a certain person, or a memory, like apple pie at grandma's house at Christmas. Even a sound can elicit a certain memory or feeling, like the sound of a boat horn reminding one of a trip to the ocean. Being aware with all of your senses gives a much more comprehensive and balanced perspective of your immediate world." She paused in thought and Donatello wondered if this was how his brothers saw him. Slightly abstracted, trying to explain something that they may or may not understand.

"We're all animals. We like to think that we are above all of those pesky urges and instincts and chemicals in the brain telling us what to do, but we really aren't. Did you know that women use smell to pick their mates just as much as any other feature, even if they don't realize it."

He blinked in shock as he found himself spellbound by her. He shook his head trying to free himself from her spell. But that was the problem. When she talked he listened. There was just something about the way she moved, the inflection in her voice that had even made her explaining the difference between Canadian and American football sound interesting. It shouldn't have been, he didn't care about football of any kind, and yet watching her poke fun at Raphael and excitedly talk about the differences had fascinated him.

Somehow he had ended up back at the table reaching out to help her sit up. "So, do I smell good?" He asked huskily and wondered where the question had come from. _Was he actually flirting with her?_ He questioned himself. He didn't flirt, he didn't even know how to flirt, yet here he was...flirting. He blushed as he tried to step away. But she grabbed him and leaned in close.

"Musky and earthy." She said closing her eyes.

"Not grease, burnt metal and chemicals?" He managed to say through a throat that was suddenly too tight.

She laughed and the laughter washed over him. "That is what you smell like when you are 'working' Donatello." She whispered his name sounding like honey on her lips. "But your actual smell is, like I said, musky and earthy. So yes, you smell good."

She slid off the table and he backed up blushing and looking for a way to change the subject. "You said you had something to ask me?" He asked as he began bandaging up her stomach again.

She blinked and looked away. "Right um...I don't really know how to ask this without it sounding really bad, but I was wondering if I could maybe...look at, and touch you?" He looked at her in shock. "Wow that came out worse than it sounded in my head. I don't want to poke at you like a science experiment or anything, but I am curious. I have been trying to figure out your skeletal structure as well as your basic biology, but I am a very tactile person so I like to touch things when I think, and I am making a mess of this so I think maybe I'll just go crash on the couch for the night." She said trying to slide past him out the door.

He managed to grab onto her arm. He should be insulted, and angry at her for wanting to basically treat him like a science experiment, yet somehow he wasn't. He could appreciate her curiosity. "Sure." He said.

"Really?" She asked looking at him dubiously.

He shrugged. "Why not, it isn't something I have ever really thought about. I usually only have to think about it regarding the stitching up and treating of my brother's various injuries."

Her smile lit the room. "Thank you."

"But why didn't you ask Mikey or Raph, I'm sure they would have been more than happy to play guinea pig?"

"Because I need to bounce thoughts off of a sounding board and what do you think they would say if I said, that in order for you to be bipedal your foramen magnum would have had to move to the bottom you your skull." She said with a quirk of her lips.

Donatello nodded. "Point." He acknowledged.

"Can you take your shirt off?" She asked him. He paused for a moment then took his shirt off. "I've been thinking." she said "For your body to have become the way it is, it would have required a huge number of biological changes. The skull thing aside, I was thinking that you would have had to get a spine."

"A spine?" He asked as she traced the skin that connected his shell to his body. "Turtles don't really have a spine , it is more thier shell acting like thier spine, but your hips have shifted so you can walk erect." She said as she placed her hands on his hips pulling them slightly towards her.

He closed his eyes at her choice of words. Him standing upright was not the only thing erect at the moment. "So it is my theory that your spine has to be like a human spine, which means that your shell is really just empty of anything but flesh. After all, if your spine has moved forward then that means all of your internal organs have shifted around as well. Your body structure seems more human than turtle so I think this would be a valid theory. Your carapace ends at your waist so you are able to wear pants. Do you have a tail?" She asked him curiously.

He shook his head no. She frowned slightly as if she was thinking about something. She was still holding onto his hips. "Where does your plastron end?" She asked her fingers abstractly fingering the edge of his jeans.

"Basically right there." He said in a strained voice. _Didn't she realize what she was doing to him? _He wondered. But how would she know that he was attracted to her? He wasn't human after all. Somehow this thought made him a little angry. He wondered how he could make her see him as something more than just a mutant turtle.

Her hands moved up to trace down the planes of his plastron. "So if all of your internal organs are placed like those of a human, and you don't have a tail, then I would think..." Her finger stopped at the top of his jeans where she paused in thought her mind obviously working furiously. "You would be..." She blinked and looked at him in shock. A blush bloomed over her cheeks as she looked at where her fingers were. She took her fingers back as if she had been burned.

"More human than turtle in that regard." He said, hands wrapping around her upper arms. He looked down at her and he had no idea what she saw in his eyes, but her lips parted slightly and her eyes dilated. "You should go to bed." He found himself saying.

She licked her lips and smiled. "I should. Thank you Donatello."

She walked to the door. "Goodnight." She said softly from the doorway.

"Goodnight Katherine." He said to her retreating back. He sat down in his chair and put his head on his computer desk. _What the hell was he doing?_ She was making him act insane. _What was he trying to accomplish by letting her know that they were physically compatible?_ He asked himself. The little voice in his head answered that he had wanted her to know, needed her to know. _But why?_ She was going to leave soon anyway. It would accomplish nothing.

_So why did the thought of her leaving hurt his heart so much?_ He lifted his head and blinked at his powered off computer monitor. _No_. He thought to himself. _There was no way, it was impossible._ She had only been here for two weeks, slightly over two weeks if you counted when she had been unconscious. He turned his computer monitor on. He stared at the screen for a few seconds as he gathered up his courage. He opened his internet search engine and typed in one word. Love.


	5. Chapter 5

Just wanted to thank Liz and Rinpup14 for their reviews! Thank you so much!

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Chapter 5

Katherine had been with them for just over two and a half weeks and she was able to move around more easily. It was still painful for her to walk around too quickly, but she tried. Leonardo admired her for it. She was tough. In fact it was just one more quality to add to the extensive lists of things that made her too hard to resist, and resist he had. There was no room in his life for her, or rather there was no room in her life for him. It just wouldn't work and that was even if she could possibly even think about him as any more than just a friend.

Leonardo hadn't thought that it would take so long for her to recover. He thought a few days, a week, but Donatello seemed reluctant to let her leave.

There was a knock on Leonardo's door. He looked up from the book he had been pretending to read. He had been worried about Donatello. The last few days he had been a little pale and strained. He had asked him if he was okay, but he had said it was just all of the stress of having two patients to look after. He had almost believed him except for the strange look Donatello would get on his face when he looked at Katherine, when he didn't think anyone was watching. Leonardo hadn't been able to identify the look and emotion Donatello had on his face at first, but had finally decided it seemed to be a cross between shock, misery and fear. The expression had worried him and he had asked if there was anything wrong with Katherine. Donatello had just shook his head and walked away.

Katherine was leaning against his doorframe her hair was dripping wet from the shower. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern setting his book down and getting off his bed.

She smiled, but she looked tired. It was then it struck him. She had been sleeping on the couch for almost three weeks. Sleeping on the couch couldn't be comfortable. "I'm sorry you can have my bed, we shouldn't be making you sleep on the couch."

She blinked at him in surprise. "The couch is fine."

"If the couch is so fine then why do you look so tired?" He asked her stepping close enough to smell the scent flowers. He had come to the conclusion that it was her that smelled of flowers. He had smelled her shampoo and conditioner that was sitting in the shower, which smelled fruity and it wasn't their soap, and she didn't wear perfume. She should have smelled like fruit or their soap, but she didn't.

She looked away. "I still hurt sometimes, it makes it hard to sleep. It is getting better though." She said with a smile.

He looked at her in shock. "I can see if Donny has anything..." He began.

She smiled wryly. "I've already asked, the strongest thing he has is aspirin. It's okay Leonardo that isn't why I am here." She said brushing away the topic of her pain as if it wasn't important.

"I saw that you were still awake and I was wondering if you wanted some company?" She asked him.

"Sure?" It came out as a question.

She laughed lightly. "You don't have to Leonardo, if you are busy with your book. I know what it's like to be interrupted when reading." She turned slowly to walk away.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. An electric shock of awareness blazed through him. "No its fine. Where is everyone else?" He asked as he walked with her to the living room. He was still holding her hand and knew he should let her hand go, but he didn't want to.

"Everyone is in bed, even Donatello, it's just you and me." She said with a smile.

Leonardo swallowed. He always had a buffer between her and himself. It consisted mainly of all of his brothers being around so that he wouldn't have to interact with her one on one.

She handed him a game controller as she sat down slowly on the couch. He sat down beside her, painfully aware of her pressed against his side, her warmth spreading across his side. "I don't like video games." He said to her.

"I know." She said as she turned on the game system.

"So why...?" He asked in confusion.

"Why don't you like video games Leonardo?"

"Because they are childish and boring. I have much better things to do than play games." He found himself growling.

"I will partially agree with you, but have you ever actually played?" She asked curiously.

"I don't need to. I have been watching Mikey play for years and never wanted to play."

She nodded her head "You are too serious Leonardo." She said to him.

He opened his mouth to retort that he had to be, but was stopped when she gently placed her fingers over his lips. "I understand Leonardo. You are the older brother, the one that they all look up to. You are filling the role of both father and brother as well as carrying the burden of responsibility in regards to your battles with the street gangs and this Foot Clan. I understand, but it doesn't mean you can't have fun. You don't always have to keep yourself separate. Both you and Donatello do the same thing. The only time either of you interact with Michelangelo and Raphael is when you are training. Otherwise Donatello is locked in his workroom and you are doing your own thing. But we have managed to get Donatello out of his workroom a little more often. We have even gotten him to watch some movies with us, but not you."

He opened his mouth to dispute her observation, but then realized he couldn't. Ever since Master Splinter had passed away he had been pulling away from his brothers, trying to be even more responsible, trying to be like their father rather than their brother. He looked at her in shock. She had only been here for just over two and a half weeks how could she have even noticed, and more importantly, why would she even care?

Her fingers were still lightly resting on his lips, her body was turned slightly towards him. How hard would it be to close the distance between them? How hard would it be to lean in and find out if he could kiss her?

His body reacted to where his mind had wandered. He looked away from her because if he didn't, he wasn't going to be able to resist doing what he wanted to do, and he couldn't destroy what friendship they seemed to have developed by scaring her, by having her realize that he was attracted to her in _that_ way.

"It's okay to have fun Leonardo. You might actually enjoy it." She said with a smile as she turned on the game console."I figure an RPG might just be right up your alley. This is my favourite type of game to play. I like customizing my characters and I like the missions and solving puzzles." She began selecting a character and helped him select his own.

They began playing. He didn't know how long they had been playing before he was completely engrossed. They made a good team. They fought well together and were able to complete quite a few missions. Between the two of them they were able to solve many of the more challenging puzzles and managed to upgrade their characters abilities.

He found himself relaxing and enjoying himself. He was also enjoying her company. He was also enjoying the fact that all of her attention was focused solely upon himself. He didn't think he remembered a time when he felt so content. He felt as if the great burden he had been carrying around since the death of their father, had been lifted. He looked at the woman curled into him. Her head was leaning against his shoulder, her legs curled up partially on his leg. Her eyes were getting heavy as she struggled against the need to sleep.

He turned off the game. She looked up at him in confusion."Time for bed." He said gently. She nodded and put the controller down yawning. He stood up, bent down, and picked her up.

She looked at him in shock. "What...?" She began.

"I'm taking you to bed." He said softly as he walked to his room. A soft blush spread across her cheeks, her eyes widening.

He lay her down on his bed and covered her up. "Goodnight Katherine." He said softly. He walked to his door. "Thank you." He said as he closed it gently behind him. He leaned against his door. _Why had she blushed?_ He wondered. He only told her he was taking her to bed. He reviewed his actions and realized how, what he had said and done, could have been completely misconstrued. It sounded like he was taking her to his bed and he was going to join her. He felt himself blush with embarrassment. No wonder she had blushed. He took two steps away from his door and looked back at it, a frown forming. But then, why hadn't she protested? Shouldn't she have been horrified? Or had she just figured out what his real intentions had been after she had already jumped to the wrong conclusion?

He rubbed his hand down his face and shook his head. It didn't matter he told himself firmly. He stalked over to the couch and plopped himself down trying to get comfortable. He finally managed to fall asleep, but the image of her blushing face looking up at him from the softness of his bed haunted his dreams.

* * *

Raphael looked at his clock and groaned. It was way too early to be up. He wanted to roll over and go to sleep, but found he couldn't get comfortable again. His leg and arm were getting better, but they still bothered him now and then, and right now was one of those times.

He groaned and got out of bed. He was not in a good mood. He stomped to his door and opened it. He stared across the hall as Leonardo's door opened, but instead of Leonardo it was Katherine who emerged from the room.

Rage like he had never felt before poured through him. He could barely even understand why the sight of her emerging from his brother's room made him so angry, but it did.

He stalked up to her and looked down at her. "Sleep well?" The biting words came from his mouth in a hiss of anger.

She yawned seemingly unconcerned with his rage. "Better, thank you Raphael. Is Leonardo up?" She asked him.

"I don't know, you tell me." He growled.

She looked at him in confusion. "If I already knew, why would I ask you if he was?" He blinked at her in confusion. "Leonardo slept on the couch, he gave up his bed because he figured I may get a better sleep in a bed than on the couch." She said softly. "I haven't been sleeping well, I am still sore."

Raphael's anger disappeared and a wave of guilt assaulted him. If it hadn't been for him she wouldn't still be in pain. "I'm sorry." He said to her and could have kicked himself for not offering his own bed to her. "Leo's right you shouldn't be sleeping on the couch, you can have my bed tonight." He said to her.

She looked up at him in shock. "Raphael..."

"No. If you slept better in a bed, then you should be sleeping in a bed. I'm not taking no for an answer." He insisted.

She tipped her head to the side assessing him, but nodded. "Your leg is bothering you today isn't it?" She asked.

He sighed. "A little." He grumbled. There was no sense trying to lie to her, she just seemed to be able to tell whenever he was lying anyway.

She smiled at him and lifted his arm around her shoulder. "We make a fine pair, don't we?" She asked as she put her arm around his waist. He realized that she was trying to help him, even though she was injured she was trying to help him. He should have been angry that a girl was trying to help him, but oddly he didn't feel angry, in fact he was enjoying the sensation of her arm wrapped around him and his arm over her shoulder. He looked over at her smiling face and realization washed over him. He had been jealous. The thought of her being with Leonardo made him jealous. He had noticed that he was attracted to her, but he hadn't realized his feelings had gone any deeper until the thought of her with his brother had thrown him into a jealous rage.

"Heh, I guess." He said as they walked together to the kitchen.

Leonardo glanced up as they walked in. His brother's eyes narrowed. He felt Katherine pull away from him and it took all of his willpower not to hold her to him. "How did you sleep?" Leonardo asked Katherine as he glared at Raphael.

"Better." She said with a smile. "Thank you so much Leonardo." She said walking over to him. "How did you sleep?" She asked him in concern.

Raphael glared at Leonardo, he was standing much too close to her.

"You aren't sleeping on that couch again." Leonardo growled. "I didn't think that it was that uncomfortable, you can have my bed until Donny says you can go to your Uncle's house."

Her eyes darted to Raphael. He strode over to her and put his arm over her shoulders. "It's okay bro, I told her she can have my bed." He said with a smile.

"Um..." She said as Michelangelo strode into the room bumping into Raphael so his arm fell away from Katherine's shoulders.

Michelangelo began rummaging around in the fridge. "She can have my room." He said pulling out a jar of jam. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch, and Raph's still injured." He closed the door of the fridge.

"She can have my room." Donatello said walking into the room and sitting down on the chair. "I spend most of my nights in my workroom anyway. It wouldn't be the first time I have just slept in there on one of the cots." Donatello leaned back in his chair crossing his arms and almost daring anyone to dispute what he said.

Four pairs of eyes looked at Katherine urging her to make a decision. She looked at each of them a blush creeping over her cheeks.

"I don't want any of you to be uncomfortable. It is your home, and I don't want to put anyone out of their bed because of me." She said to them.

Four voices protested in unison that it wasn't a problem.

She looked at them and said, "Alright how about this. So that no one is overly inconvenienced I'll sleep in Raphael's room tonight, Michelangelo's tomorrow and Donatello's the night after that. This way no one person is stuck on the couch for more than one night. Maybe by then Donatello will pronounce me well enough that you can get rid of your unexpected and inconvenient house guest." She said with a quick half smile.

"You haven't been any trouble." Michelangelo was the first to protest. The rest of them followed with protests that she wasn't a problem.

"That is very sweet of you to say, but you guys have been doing nothing but waiting on me and entertaining me for almost three weeks, that is exhausting work." She said with a shake of her head. "I'm sure you guys are looking forward to getting back to your usual routines without having to stumble around me all the time." She said turning and walking into the living room.

"Aren't you hungry?" Michelangelo yelled at her retreating back.

"Not really." She said over her shoulder.

Raphael slumped down on his chair as he contemplated her leaving in a few days. "Do you think she'll be well enough to leave in a few days Donny?" He asked as a feeling of gloom descended upon him.

"She won't be ready in the next three days no. She is supposed to be resting, but knowing her, if we let her out of our sights she will be overexerting herself trying to get her Uncle's estate in order. I would say the end of the month at the earliest, closer to Halloween for sure. So at least another week, week and a half." He said to them.

Raphael felt the gloom that had descended upon him lift a little. But the problem was that she was still going to leave, eventually she would have to leave. This thought hurt his heart so much he was staggered by it.

He looked at the living room and limped out of the kitchen. He sat down on the couch next to Katherine who was blankly staring at the TV.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked her quietly. She looked at him in shock. "Donny says you are stuck here for another week at the very least, so don't get too excited to leave." He said gruffly.

She gave him a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Alright." She said softly.

Michelangelo sat down on the other side of Katherine. Raphael looked at him and glared, but he just smiled at his hot-headed brother.

He put his arm over her shoulder. "So what do you want to do today?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure." She said looking at him. He looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye and saw him flush with anger.

He smiled wider at his brother's reaction as he pulled Katherine closer. His brother could glare all he wanted, but he liked Katherine, knew he liked her from almost the first moment he had seen her. The problem was he knew what he was. He had no illusions about the fact that he was a mutant turtle and the chances of a human actually feeling anything more than friendship towards him was small, but it didn't mean he wasn't willing to try.

"Raph, could you come to my workroom, I want to check your arm and leg." Donatello called out for the kitchen. Raphael gave Michelangelo one final glare, got off the couch and walked to Donatello's work room.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her with concern.

"Still a little tired, still sore, but getting better." She said to him. He nodded. "Well let's see if there is anything good on TV." They watched TV for a few minutes before Katherine was called away by Donatello who wanted to have a look at her. Raphael sat down beside Michelangelo and glared at him.

"What are you doing?" Raphael hissed.

He blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked innocently.

"Why did you put your arm around her?" He asked angrily.

"Because I wanted to." He answered his angry brother. "Why? She didn't seem to mind." He glanced over at Raphael who looked fit to be tied.

"Don't touch her Mikey." He hissed.

Michelangelo's eyes glittered dangerously. "What gives you the right to tell me what to do Raph?" He growled.

Raphael looked at him in surprise. He had surprised himself with the anger he was beginning to feel flow through him.

Katherine stood in front of them and sat down between them forcing them to shift away from each other. "You two okay?" She asked looking between them.

"Yeah." They said in unison.

She nodded. "Leo wants to talk to you Michelangelo, something about neglecting your guys' responsibilities?" She said with a shrug.

Michelangelo sighed and stood up. He levelled a final glare at Raphael who smiled and stretched his arm behind Katherine's back.

* * *

Hopefully things will start rolling a little faster after this chapter, I hope =) Please enjoy and R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"But Leo, I can go. You can't just leave me behind!" He yelled.

"Raph, I've already told you, you are not coming and that is final. Your leg and arm are still healing, I will not risk putting you in danger, and risking the rest of our lives because you are not up to fighting."

"It's just patrol Leo!" He protested.

"And we don't know if anything will happen. My answer is final. Stay here protect the lair...and Katherine." Leonardo added as an afterthought. Leonardo frowned as if deciding to change his mind about leaving. Leonardo shook his head.

"Fine." He grumbled arms crossed, anger radiating from every line of his body.

He watched as all of his brothers left the lair to go out on the nightly patrol duty they had been neglecting since Katherine had been dragged into their lives.

He heard the sound of clapping behind him. He turned around in surprise to see Katherine standing hip cocked to the side, smile on her face, clapping slowly. "Truly a magnificent performance Raphael, why I think you may just win the Oscar for best outraged character."

He looked at her in shock, then his lips moved into a half smile. "Saw right through that did you?" He asked her.

"Like a window." She said shaking her head.

He laughed. "Think Leo bought it?" He asked.

She just shook her head. "I don't get why the protest if you didn't care if you went anyway."

He shrugged. "Cause if Leo thought I didn't want to go, he would think there was something up."

She looked at him in confusion then narrowed her eyes. "What are you planning Raphael?" She asked him suspiciously.

He grinned at her. "You and I are going to play hooky." He said deviously.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "From what?"

"From that damn couch we have been forced to sit on for too damn long." He said pointing to the couch.

"Okay." She said slowly.

"Grab Leo's coat, we are getting out of here. I'm going to show you a little bit of New York." He said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Granted it's not going to be very exciting, but I figure we can take a walk through the park, get a little fresh air."

"You want to walk, through Central Park, at night?" She asked surprised.

He chuckled. "Don't worry babe, I can protect you." He boasted.

"Don't call me babe." She said to him, but had turned to go grab Leonardo's trench coat. He grabbed his own jacket, and pulled the hood of his hoodie up over his head.

She came back dressed in her jeans, and a slightly wrinkled hoodie. She had been borrowing their clothes when she had run out of her own. They were going to have to do laundry soon, and if they didn't do it soon she was going to. She had already been complaining that she was running out of underwear. He shook his head trying to get his mind off of her wearing the damn lacy barely there underwear he had seen the first day she had woken up.

She put Leonardo's coat on and pronounced herself ready.

He grabbed her hand and led her out to the surface. The entrance to the lair closed behind them and he led her through the park. It was dark, but the occasional couple or group of friends walking along the park's pathways.

She was looking around curiously and he wondered if she had even noticed he was still holding her hand. He noticed she tended to be a little like Donatello at times. When she was focused on something she tended to be completely oblivious about what was going on around her.

She looked over at him shoulders bumping together as they walked along. He looked over at her and wondered what it would be like to be able to actually be with her. He wondered, as he watched couples pass by them, a few stopping to have a quick kiss here and there, if this is what it felt like to be human. Just two people walking together, enjoying the other person's company. He squeezed her hand a little harder, anger coursing through him at the thought that he would never actually know what it would be like to be human, to be normal, to not be a freak of nature.

"You seem to be thinking about something serious Raphael." Katherine said to him.

"I thought I was at least your friend." He said to her instead of answering. She looked at him in confusion. "The only time anyone calls me by my full name is when I am in trouble, why don't you call me Raph?" He asked her.

She scrunched up her nose. "Because I like your name, I'm not going to brutalize it by calling you Raph. Raphael is much better."

He looked at her in confusion. "Say Raph again."

"Raph." She said.

"Say Raphael."

She smiled. "Raphael." His name rolled off her tongue like a sinful invitation. He swallowed hard.

"You're right, Raphael is much better." He said.

She laughed. "So what were you thinking about?"

"I can't remember." He said to her.

"Liar." She said with a smile.

He pulled her off the pathway and under a tree. "I want you to look back at the path and tell me what you see." He said to her.

She watched the pathway intently. "People walking by."

"Right but we aren't on the same path as them, we're just watching them pass us by, and they don't even know we are here." He said quietly. He didn't know why he was telling her, didn't know why he wanted her to know. It was at that moment watching the humans walk by that he realized how lonely his life had been, until she had tumbled into it.

She looked up at him in shock, but he didn't want to meet her eyes. He didn't want to see the pity he knew would be there. "I see." She said slowly turning him to face her.

He looked down at her, words tumbling unchecked from his mouth. "I'll never know what it is like to be human, to be normal. They don't know how good they have it." He said motioning towards the pathway.

She gave a half smile. "Normal is overrated, besides what is normal anyway?" She ask him. Her back was pressed up against the bark of the tree, and somehow he found himself pressed against her. Her face, her lips were so close to his, he wanted to reach out and touch the velvety smoothness of her cheek, maybe try kissing pink, cupids bow lips that made his name sound like the sweetest word ever said.

He heard the crack of wood breaking over something hard as he stumbled more into her.

He looked over his shoulder at a couple of punks who were looking in confusion at the piece of wood that had broken over his shell. "On the other hand, there are some days I love being a turtle." He said into Katherine's shocked and frightened face. "Don't worry Kitten I've got this one." He growled as he spun around kicking the guy with the broken piece of wood.

Raphael cursed as he remembered that his leg was still injured. The park was oddly quiet and he swore because he hadn't realized how late it had gotten. The thugs had obviously waited until there wasn't anyone around to call for help. The other punk hit him hard in the face. He tumbled to the ground Katherine jumping in front of him.

"What do you think you're doing!" He yelled in horror as the thug punched her hard in the face. She tumbled to the ground and rolled to a stop in a crumpled lifeless heap.

Rage roared through him. That punk bastard had hit the woman he loved. He saw red. He rolled to his feet and he punched the one punk that had hit her. A bat crashed against the side of his shell. He turned quickly as he tried to deal with his damn arm and leg. He wasn't in top fighting form. He hadn't brought his weapons with him. He hadn't wanted to bring along the very weapons that had almost cost Katherine her life. He should have known better than to leave the lair without them.

He was on the ground again, punk #2 smiling down at him. His kicked out tripping the punk. He rolled on top of him and punched him hard. His eyes rolled up into his head falling into unconsciousness. Raphael was tempted to continue to beat the unconscious punk to within an inch of his life for daring to touch Katherine, but he knew there was still one more punk to deal with. He looked around and spotted punk #1 holding Katherine up by the coat collar. He stood looking at her intently. There was an intensity to his gaze that Raphael didn't like. Katherine struggled as Raphael caught the glint of metal in the moonlight. She glared at him defiantly, her hand lashing out striking him right in the throat. He started making gagging, choking sounds as he dropped her.

"Be glad I didn't break your windpipe, jerk." She said shaking her hand in pain. Raphael stared at her in shock. "I don't know how to fight, but I did grow up with two brothers, and it is amazing what you can learn in an anatomy class." She said with a weak smile. She looked like she was smiling but Raphael could see the barely contained tears of fear in her eyes.

He pulled her into an embrace, one hand clutching her to him his shoulder, the other hand entangled within the silky confines of her hair. "Let's get out of here." He growled into her ear. She nodded. They stumbled and limped back to the lair as fast as they could. Her arm was wrapped tightly around his waist, his arm around her shoulders. They were silent on the way home. He wasn't sure what she was thinking but he knew his own thoughts and emotions were pinging around in his head like a pinball machine. He stole a glance at her out of the corner of his eye and grimaced. _When did it happen? How did it happen?_ He asked himself. He loved her. Somewhere along the way, even though he had known he liked her and was attracted to her, he had completely fallen for her. And the worst part was, he had no idea of what her feelings were towards him, if she could even have feelings towards him. And that didn't even scratch the surface of the fact that within the next week, week and a half, she was going to walk out of his life forever. He pulled her closer to him as hopelessness rolled through him.

* * *

Raphael breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the lair. It was quiet so his brothers weren't back yet. They took off their jackets and he pulled her along into Donatello's workroom. He lifted her up onto the worktable.

"Are you okay she asked him in concern?" He looked over her face. She hadn't been crying which was good, but unshed tears still glittered on dark lashes. There was an angry red welt forming over her left cheekbone which he knew was going to turn into an angry black bruise. She also and a scrape on her right cheek.

"I'm going back to the park and I am going to beat those punks to within an inch of their lives." He growled. She was clutching her side in pain. He remembered that she had hit the ground with a jarring force, she had probably injured herself again.

He reached out and touched the side of her face brushing his fingers lightly over her welt. She flinched back in pain. "I'm sorry." He said with regret. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"What have you done Raphael!" His older brother's voice roared from behind him. He quickly turned around and looked into Leonardo's rage filled eyes. Leonardo took one menacing step towards him, hitting him hard in the jaw. The punch had shocked him so much he stumbled and fell to the ground. He looked at his other brothers who were looking at him with a mixture of anger and shock. He heard the scrape of metal on metal as Leonardo drew his swords.

He looked at them and realized what it looked like. His brothers didn't know that they had gone out, so it looked as if it was he who had given her the angry welt on her cheek. And after all, he had just been apologizing to her. Anger and betrayal raged through him as he realized what his brothers thought he had done.

"Just because I would not let you accompany us, did not mean you had to take your rage out on her!" Leonardo yelled at him as his blades arched down towards him. Raphael's rage died as he realized that his brother was beyond reason, having been consumed by a red rage filled haze. Leonardo probably didn't even realize that he was attacking his defenceless brother.

Raphael closed his eyes as he waited for his brothers blades to strike him down, but did not feel the bite of cold hard steel. He slowly opened his eyes as he saw Katherine holding Leonardo back.

"It isn't what it looks like Leonardo." She said softly.

"I don't need you to..." Raphael began angrily.

Hand still clutched to her wounded side. She put her hand gently on Leonardo's chest.

Raphael saw red as Leonardo looked down at her.

"Do you really think Raphael is capable of what you are accusing him of, even if he was within one of his rages?" She asked him.

Leonardo reached out and brushed her injured cheek. He closed his eyes. "No." He said finally.

Tension that had formed in Raphael's shoulders loosened. "I'm sorry Raph." Leonardo said as he sheathed his swords and pulled Katherine into him. "What happened?" Leonardo asked as he held her tightly encircled in his arms. Leonardo finally let her go and passed her to Donatello.

Donatello took hold of her and swung her up into his arms. Rage was still pouring through Raphael at Leonardo having touched Katherine, but he had to remind himself that he had no right to get jealous, she wasn't his, could probably never be his. And yet. He looked at her, her arms around Donatello's neck. And yet, she hadn't pulled away from him, not once. She had even held his hand when they had walked together, and she had not protested, not even once, when he was pressed against her.

Raphael sighed as Leonardo helped him up. He moved out of the way as Donatello placed Katherine on the workbench to look at her face and check her side. "I took her out. We just went for a walk. I just thought it would be nice to get some fresh air. We've been stuck in the lair for nearly three weeks. At least you guys have gotten out when you've done runs to April's house to pick up the groceries from that delivery guy April and Casey set up for us while they were away. " He said quietly. " Anyway some punk-ass kids decided to pick a fight. No idea why, they didn't even talk. I took one out, Kitten here took out the other one." He smiled a lopsided smile. "You should have seen her."

"Kitten?" Michelangelo asked.

"I punched him in the throat, it wasn't very spectacular." She said with a shake of her head. Donatello took her hand and inspected the cuts, frowning slightly."Then we gimped back here." She said with a shrug.

Donatello lifted up her shirt, then pulled it back down. "I want everyone out, now." He growled.

Everyone looked at Donatello in shock. Donatello was never angry, ever. Frustrated yes, angry, no, raging, even more no, but right now Donatello was in a rage. Katherine began sliding off the table. "Not you." He said angrily. Her eyes widened but she slid back on the table.

"Donny?" Michelangelo asked in concern.

Donatello looked at all of them. "Now." He said softly. They looked at each other and Raphael looked at Katherine worriedly. She shrgged.

Raphael moved with his other brothers and left Donatello's workroom. "What's wrong with Donny?" Raphael asked in confusion.

Leonardo frowned.

"Kitten?" Michelangelo asked.

Raphael shrugged. "She wouldn't let me call her babe, besides she took out a guy twice her size with one punch, Kitten's got claws." He said with a smile.

* * *

Donatello looked at Katherine who was looking at him wide eyed. Anger like he had never felt was coursing through him and he didn't know what to do with it. He never got angry, ever. It wasn't in him to feel this much anger but it rolled and raged through him none the less. He didn't know what specifically was making him angrier; that she had been hurt; that he knew he would have beat his brother unconscious if he actually had been the one to put the welt on her beautiful face; or the fact that he was absolutely and unimaginably jealous of both Leonardo and Raphael for touching her.

He looked at her and he didn't know what to say.

Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him into her. His arms went around her and he clutched her tightly to him. "I'm okay Donatello, I'm okay. Breathe. Just breathe in and out." She whispered in his ear. "I'm okay."

He took a deep breath the smell of flowers washed over him, calming him.

When he had typed the word love into the search engine, what he had read confirmed his suspicions that he was at least falling in love with her. He had been determined then to spend as little time as possible with her and he hoped that perhaps the feeling would just go away. But tonight, seeing her injured, seeing his brother standing in front of her, touching her. He couldn't deny his feelings for her. He was in love with her, and he didn't know what to do.

He wasn't sure how long she held him, how long he held her clutched to him like some sort of lifeline, but finally he was able to pull away. He looked at her eyes which looked back at him with concern and something else. She touched the side of his cheek gently. He put his hand over hers and closed his eyes enjoying the sensation.

He felt her cheek brush against his other cheek. "Thank you for caring." She whispered brushing soft lips across his cheek. She pulled back and smiled at him. She slid forward not letting go of his hand, but forcing him to move back. "I told you I would show you something, but I haven't." He looked at her in confusion as she began rummaging through her bag. She pulled her camera out. She smiled softly. "Let's go kick Michelangelo off the couch and look at some dinosaurs."

He nodded because really what else was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to tell her he loved her, was he supposed to ruin the tentative friendship that had formed between them? Besides, it wouldn't matter, she would be out of their lives soon enough and all he would have to remember her by would be the soft smell of flowers and the time he spent with her.

* * *

Leonardo dripped with sweat. Shame burned through him at what he had almost done. No. At what he _had_ done. He had attacked his unarmed, injured brother. Granted he was under the impression that Raphael had lost his own temper and Katherine had somehow gotten in the way, but it still did not excuse his actions.

He dropped his swords to the ground. They landed in a clatter of metal hitting metal.

He had never felt so much anger. He had been blind. All he had seen was red, and he hadn't been able to control himself. He suddenly understood what is was like to be Raphael. He had felt a rage that was so all consuming, that it had swallowed him up until there was nothing left.

He loved her. He closed his eyes. He couldn't love her, and yet, he did. He had tried so hard to keep her away from him and his heart, but it hadn't listened, and the thought of her leaving made him feel as if the breath was being crushed from his lungs.

The object of his torment looked at him from the doorway. He looked at her and looked away. He couldn't stand to see the disgust or the accusation in her eyes. He knew he had lost it, knew he had almost hurt Raphael, and would have if she hadn't put herself in harm's way. Only then had he realized what he had done, what his intentions had been, and his intentions had not been pretty. If she had not stopped him, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to stop himself from gravely injuring his brother, perhaps even more than just hurting him. That thought froze the blood in his veins and made his heart clench in fear. That the wellbeing of this woman had superseded any thoughts of the wellbeing of his own brother frightened him in ways he didn't even want to contemplate.

Katherine stopped in front of him. He had hoped that if he hadn't acknowledged her presence that she would take the hint and leave him alone. Apparently she wasn't going to leave him alone. He glared down at her angrily. It was all her fault. If she hadn't made him feel this way, then he wouldn't have attacked his brother.

She knelt down and picked up his swords. He frowned and wondered what she was doing. She hadn't said anything just held his swords as if getting a feel for them.

"I've always wanted to know how to fight with a sword." She began softly. "Although I will admit to having more of an interest in Scottish medieval swords." She said handing one of his swords to him. He continued to frown at her in confusion. The problem with Katherine was that every time he thought he knew what she was thinking, thought he knew what she was going to say, he was always wrong.

She held his sword two handed then shook her head and smiled. "It feels too strange." She said as she handed the sword back to him. "At least I know that in your hands, no one will be hurt with these." She said with a smile as she turned to leave.

"I nearly hurt Raph, could have done more than just hurt him." He found himself saying. _How the hell did she do that?_ He thought angrily to himself. He didn't want to talk about what he had almost done, especially not with her, and she hadn't said a word, and yet here he was, talking about it.

"But you didn't." She said crossing her arms.

"I could have hurt you." He said wretchedly, the whisper of hurt and horror threading through his words.

"But you didn't." She said as she assessed him. It felt as if she ripped open his very soul, looked at the dark horrible part of him that had cried out for Raphael's blood, and accepted it. He couldn't move or breathe.

"Intention is not the same as implementation." She said softly as she turned and held out her hand for him.

He realized that she knew exactly what his thoughts had been. She had known that both Raphael and even herself had been in danger from him, from his anger, and yet she was unconcerned with it. As she trusted Raphael never to hurt her, even in his rages, she trusted that he too would never harm her, and by extension, harm his brothers.

He looked at the swords in his hands. He hoped he would never see that trust waver and fail, because the person he had thought he was, he wasn't. He sheathed his swords and took her offered hand in his.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Michelangelo was still a little surprised by both Donatello _and _Leonardo losing it. He had been shocked that Donatello had kicked them out of his workroom. He wasn't sure what had happened behind the closed doors, but not too long after they had left the room, a very pale Donatello had emerged from the workroom his hand tightly clasped in Katherine's. They had kicked him off the couch and they had sat and went through Katherine's pictures on her camera.

They had begun with the dinosaurs which had managed to put colour and excitement back into Donatello's face. Katherine had left for a few moments and returned with an equally pale Leonardo. He and Raphael had joined them as Katherine showed them the other pictures she had on her camera. There were pictures of her brothers, her parents, her friends and a few tourist pictures of other places around her province. She had then managed to convince them to pose for the camera but only if she was in the photos as well. She had gotten Donatello to print out the copies on the printer and let them keep them, but she had also kept some for herself.

The next week passed in a blur. Leonardo had allowed Raphael to come out on patrol, though Raphael wasn't as pleased with this as he should have been. But after three days Leonardo had called a halt to their nightly rounds after the third night of coming home in the very early hours of the morning to find Katherine still awake. Donatello had complained to Leonardo that she was going to make herself sick by not getting any rest. Leonardo had readily agreed. All of them seemed happier to stay at home with her anyway.

They had managed to convince Katherine to stay until after Halloween, which was tonight, which meant she would be leaving tomorrow. She had gone out with all of them to the grocery store. It was the one night of the year when they could actually go out in public and not have to worry. Katherine had wanted to carve pumpkins. They had decided to sit at home and watch some scary movies in celebration of Halloween.

Presently they were walking down the street, Raphael was carrying Katherine's pumpkin while Michelangelo was carrying his own. Katherine currently had one arm draped around Leonardo and the other around Donatello. She was chatting with them happily. She let go of them and bounced forward in excitement. "I love Halloween!" She exclaimed. "It is my favourite holiday!" She said happily as she waited for the light to change to walk across the street.

"Even better than Christmas?" Michelangelo asked her.

"Better than Christmas. There is just something...electric about Halloween, the night, the fun, the costumes, and make-up!" She said happily.

The walk light changed and she crossed the street. There was a bark. Katherine's head swung around as a dog bounded out from between some cars. A driver who was turning left and hadn't been paying attention swerved to avoid hitting the dog, and instead swerved into Katherine. Leonardo was fastest. He managed to grab onto her and pull her out of harm's way. The driver of the car hadn't even realized he had almost hit her.

Leonardo was clutching her to him a look of absolute panic which was mirrored on his brother's faces.

Leonardo looked down into her face. "Are you okay?" He asked looking at her for any injury.

She looked at the car's taillights and nodded. "I know New York drivers are supposed to be bad, but..." She let the sentence hang as Michelangelo tried to get his heart to stop pounding in his chest.

Leonardo lifted her up. She squeaked. "What are you doing?" She asked arms thrown around his neck.

"I'm carrying you home." He replied gruffly.

"I said I was fine." She protested a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Yes well, I'm not, so I am carrying you home and only then am I going to put you down once I know you are safe." He growled. And Leonardo, true to his word, didn't put her down until they had gotten back to the lair.

"Donny is she really okay, she didn't injure herself again did she?" Leonardo asked completely overriding her protests that she was fine.

Donatello took a look at her and pronounced that she was as well as could be considering it had only been a little over a month since she had been stabbed.

Only then did everyone seem to relax, but Michelangelo knew all of them were thinking the same selfish thing; that if she had been injured even just a little bit, it would be all the excuse they needed for her to stay just a little longer.

Raphael hefted Katherine's pumpkin onto the table. "I don't get it." He said looking at it. "Why do you want to carve one of these things anyway?"

Katherine looked with glee at Michelangelo. "Because it's fun!" She said happily spreading out newspaper for the gunk in the middle, and completely ignoring her near brush with death.

Michelangelo looked at his pumpkin, then at his brothers. They had also seemed to have recovered from her near brush with death, and they were smiling when she looked at them, but a quiet gloom had descended over each and every one of them, including himself.

Each of them had fallen in love with her. He wasn't sure if his brothers knew how each of them looked at her; watched her with hungry eyes as they craved something they knew they shouldn't want, and could never have, like some sort of forbidden fruit.

"You need some help with the knife Kitten?" Raphael asked her.

She raised an eyebrow. "I think I can handle it Raphael." She said wryly as she cut open the top. "Oh I almost forgot." She said as she began rummaging through a grocery bag. She pulled out something black and put it on her head. Little black kitty ears were now perched on her head. "There, much better." She said with a laugh as she pulled the top off the pumpkin.

"Cute." Raphael said as he stepped behind Katherine pulling her into him. She looked over at him in shock, a blush spreading across her face. Leonardo and Donatello glared. Michelangelo felt a stirring of jealously, but pushed it down.

A devilish gleam came into her eyes as she reached into the pumpkin and pulled out the slimy seed filled gunk in the middle. She plopped it on the newspaper, looked at her hand and smeared it across Raphael's cheek.

Raphael stumbled back a look of disgust on his face. Katherine laughed.

"Nice one." Michelangelo said to her as he began laughing. He had pulled the top off his pumpkin and had his hand inside the gooey center.

"Think that's funny do you?" Raphael questioned furiously.

Pumpkin hit Michelangelo's cheek and slowly dripped down the side of his face. Raphael looked at him in surprise. They both looked at Katherine who was holding a spoon covered in pumpkin. "Oops." She said innocently.

Michelangelo grinned and pulled his hand out whipping a handful of pumpkin at her. She dodged and it struck Leonardo in the chest.

Leonardo glared angrily. The kitchen went silent as Leonardo scraped the pumpkin from his shirt. He looked at the gunk in his hand and threw it back at Michelangelo.

After that it was a free for all pumpkin fight. The kitchen was a mess, they were all a mess and the pumpkins still had to be carved.

"What a mess." Katherine said as Donatello pulled pumpkin out of her hair. "But so much fun." She said happily.

Michelangelo laughed. That was exactly why he loved her. He loved her because she knew how to laugh and have fun. Sure she was beautiful and smart and enjoyed many of the things he did, but it was her sense of fun, her laughter and her smile that he loved most.

She looked at Michelangelo with unrivalled glee. He smiled warmly at her. He had known he was in love with her for a while. It had been interesting watching his brothers each fall in love with her. Leonardo and Donatello had struggled against it, Raphael hadn't realized it until it had hit him like a ton of bricks, but Michelangelo had embraced it. He hadn't been concerned with the particulars. He loved her, plain and simple. All he had to do now was convince her to stay. He knew she had to deal with her Uncle's estate, but after that was done, he had to figure out a way to convince her that she belonged with them.

He knew that she wasn't indifferent to them, otherwise she wouldn't blush as much as she did when any of them got near. She was aware of them, but the problem was she didn't seem to favour any one of them in particular. She spent a little more time with Raphael, but that was mostly because they had both been injured and stuck on the couch together. Raphael was also the more pushy of the four of them which meant that whether he realized it or not, he had been, and still was, the more possessive of all of them.

"Yuck." Raphael complained as he shook pumpkin off his hands.

Katherine picked her knife up. "Well at least the pumpkin's clean." She said as she began carving a face into it. "Do you guys know how the pumpkin became known as the Jack O' Lantern?" She asked, but was looking specifically at Donatello. Donatello shook his head as did the rest of them. "Well the story differs but the main premise of the tale is the same. There was once a thief by the name of Jack. The tale differs on the how, but basically Jack manages to trick the Devil and trap him, rendering him powerless. Jack then only agrees to release the Devil if he promises never to take his soul, the Devil agrees, and Jack releases the Devil. The problem is Jack didn't ask for eternal life or anything so eventually Jack dies, but he can't get into Heaven because his soul was too wicked, and he can't get into Hell because of his deal with the Devil, so Jack is forced to endlessly wander the world in darkness. Eventually he calls out and complains to the Devil. The Devil takes pity on Jack and gives him an eternal ember from Hell. So Jack takes a turnip, carves it, puts the ember inside his lantern and thus becomes Jack of the Lantern or Jack O' Lantern." She finished her story by putting the lid on her carved pumpkin. A glowing manically evil face grinned at them.

"Jack was an idiot." Raphael finally mumbled.

She laughed. "Yes he was. You never make a deal with the Devil, it never turns out well."

Michelangelo looked down at his pumpkin, it looked more sad than scary.

She walked over to his pumpkin. "Your pumpkin looks sad, it can't scare away evil spirits looking sad." She picked up his knife and made a few cuts into the soft flesh of the pumpkin. "Samhain is the night where the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is thinnest. The spirits of the dead walk this night more than any other." She said turning his pumpkin towards him. It looked angry and mean now. He smiled at her but asked in confusion. "Sowan?"

"Summers end. The end of 'light days' and the beginning of 'dark days'." She said pulling some pumpkin goo off her shirt.

He looked at his brothers all of whom were looking gloomy. _If she left and stayed gone, it _would_ be dark days._ Michelangelo thought to himself.

She looked down at herself. "Well, I think we should get ourselves and this place cleaned up, we'll make some dinner and then..."

"Monster movie marathon!" Michelangelo crowed happily, his gloom being short lived. Maybe he would ask Donatello, he knew his older brother had to be able to think of something to make her stay.

She laughed. "Yes Michelangelo, monster movies." She took her kitty ears off, which had somehow managed not to get pumpkin goo on them. "Okay am I goo free?" She asked Leonardo turning around in a circle. "I don't want to jump in the shower and have pumpkin goo clogging up the drain."

Leonardo studied her and brushed some goo from her cheek. Her bruise had faded to a greenish yellow. She looked at Leonardo who nodded and pronounced her goo free. She blinked as if coming out of a daze, a blush stealing over her cheeks. "Alright you guys play nice, I'm going to have a shower and change."

She walked to the bathroom. They all stared at the closed bathroom door before they shook themselves and began cleaning up the pumpkin mess.

"Oh come one! How did I get it in my underwear!" She shouted from the bathroom. They all stopped and stared at the bathroom door as it opened partially. Katherine stuck her head out the door. "Can I borrow a pair of pants and a shirt?" She called from the bathroom. "We are doing laundry as soon as I get out...and the rest of you shower."

"You can borrow mine Kitten." Raphael called out before any of them were able to form a coherent thought at the sight of Katherine's partially naked body displayed through the opening of the door.

"Raph." Leonardo growled.

"You snooze you lose bro." Raphael laughed as he walked to his room to dig up some clothes.

Leonardo was standing guard at the door of the bathroom to make sure Raphael didn't try any 'funny business'.

Katherine emerged a few moments later, showered and wearing Raphael's clothes. His sweats were rolled up at the waist so they didn't fall down, but they still hung very low. Raphael's shirt was too big and the neck opening hung down low exposing the tops of her breasts. She was just tying the shirt up as she walked from the bathroom. She stopped in the kitchen grabbed her kitty cat ears and put them back on her head.

"Hey Raph, she makes your clothes look good." Michelangelo commented as he watched her walk to the laundry room. She grabbed the laundry basket. But that was just it, she wasn't trying to be sexy, she was just trying to be comfortable. She was completely oblivious as to how unbelievably beautiful and sexy she was.

Raphael just nodded numbly. "Okay I'd like to know how may pairs of underwear you guys own, because I know I don't have any left. Please tell me you actually change yours every day." She said holding the laundry basket on her hip.

They all looked at each other and shrugged. She shook her head and huffed. "Men!" She said walking away to grab all of their laundry.

She put a load of laundry into the machine and then began supper. Michelangelo helped her by cutting up the vegetables for a salad while she made the chicken. She was baking something in the oven but Michelangelo wasn't sure what it was. She had taken over the cooking duties a few weeks ago. She said it was the least she could do since she was basically staying with them for nothing. She had also been horrified at the amount of takeout they tended to eat. They had felt bad at first since technically she was their guest, but she had insisted and she was a good cook. She wasn't fancy, but it was good. She had even begun baking cookies and other treats occasionally. It struck him then that they had fallen into a completely domestic routine.

Michelangelo stopped what he was doing and looked over at Katherine. She couldn't leave, too much of their lives had begun to revolve around her. "If you even think about taking that cookie I will smack you Raphael." She said not even looking at where Raphael had snuck up and was in the process of grabbing one of the pumpkin shaped sugar cookies she had made earlier. She bent down and was taking something out of the oven. Raphael forgot all about the cookie as he instead ogled her ass.

"And stop looking at my ass." She said to him standing up and looking at him over her shoulder. Raphael sputtered his innocence as Michelangelo laughed. "If you are just going to be standing around in the kitchen, you can be useful and set the table." She said with a smile.

Raphael set the table and they ate dinner. Michelangelo thought that it would be a sad and quite affair and it was until she brought out the pumpkin and plopped it in the middle of the table. It was small and had been carved, cut in half and stitched back together. It looked like a shrivelled zombie pumpkin head. Beside the pumpkin she placed a bowl with something orange and mashed. They looked at it in confusion. "Martha Stewart eat your heart out. Mashed zombie pumpkin brains." She said with a smile taking a big scoop and plopping it on her plate.

"Shouldn't it be the zombie pumpkin eating our brains?" Michelangelo asked her.

"Shut up Michelangelo." Katherine said with a laugh.

They had all laughed and enjoyed the rest of dinner.

* * *

Raphael gave Michelangelo a punch in the arm getting him to move over so Katherine could sit down beside him. She had just put her pumpkin beside Michelangelo's and walked back to the couch to sit. Michelangelo moved over and she sat between them. Donatello was sitting beside Michelangelo and Leonardo had taken a seat on the chair. Michelangelo was vibrating with excitement.

"Calm down Mikey, it isn't like you haven't seen these movies like a million times. Raphael growled.

Michelangelo gave him a devious smile. "Yeah, but this time is going to be so much better."

After the third movie Donatello and Leonardo went to bed. Katherine yawned. "Last one Michelangelo?" She asked.

"Yup, I've saved the best for last." He said with a grin.

So far Raphael had been enjoying sitting on the couch with Katherine. He had begun absently playing with her Kitty ears during the movies and his arm had made its way across her shoulders during the second movie. Leonardo had sat and glared at him the entire time, but he ignored his older brother, after all, she hadn't complained.

The title of _The Haunting of Rochester Mansion_ appeared on screen. "I thought we were only watching Monster movies Michelangelo." She said as she sunk farther into the couch.

"Come on Kitten, we can't have Halloween without one ghost movie." He said innocently.

She pushed herself farther into Raphael. "You just don't want me to sleep tonight." She grumbled. "I told you ghost movies give me nightmares." She complained.

Raphael looked at his younger brother. He had never really appreciated the pure evil genius of his youngest brother. She spent the entire movie buried between and clutching both of them. She had a death grip on Michelangelo's arm, but had practically crawled into Raphael's lap. As far as he was concerned, best night ever.

"It's okay Kitten I'll protect you from all of the scary ghosts and monsters and every nasty evil thing out to get you." He said with a smile.

"You sure you can keep that promise Raphael?" She asked him with a half smile.

He laughed. "I've dealt with my fair share of nasty things, I'm pretty sure I can handle it." He boasted.

"Fine." She said as she jumped as the ghost's ghoulish figure appeared on the screen.

She pulled Michelangelo closer to her. "I am so not forgiving you for this." She said with a glare, but a slight smile on her face.

She buried her face in Raphael's chest. "I am so not going to my dead Uncle's house tomorrow. Thanks a lot Michelangelo. Because of you I am going to have more than one sleepless night."

Michelangelo grinned in triumph. Raphael shook his head, then looked down at the head buried in his chest. It seemed a little silly to be freaked out about ghosts, but then again he hated bugs. He had unmanned himself a few times by having to get her to kill a few spiders that had managed to cross his path. Why they always liked crawling up drains into the sink was beyond him.

After the movie had finished Michelangelo went to bed and Raphael walked her to his room since it was his night to bunk on the couch. "Night Kitten." He said to her.

She was looking down at her feet. "You probably think that it is pretty silly to be scared of ghosts don't you?" She questioned.

"I don't get why you would be scared of things that aren't real but..." He just shrugged.

"Coming from the turtle who is scared of a tiny arachnid." She said with a smirk. She lost her smile and sighed. "I believe in them, I've seen them, at least I could when I was little, but I can still feel them, and I know they can't do anything to hurt me in any way, but they still creep me out and give me nightmares. Wow I sound like I'm 5." She said shaking her head.

"Hey everyone gets nightmares now and then." He said with a shrug.

"I know. Doesn't mean I still haven't totally wimped out and crawled into bed with my brothers after a really scary movie though." She said with a laugh. "I'm a wimp, I can admit it."

"That's okay, Mikey ain't much better. Luckily he has seen all of the movies we watched tonight otherwise he would probably be jumpin' into bed with one of us too, well at least asking to sleep on the floor in our rooms anyway. Donny usually lets him bunk in his room.

She laughed. "Well that makes me feel better then." She said with a smile.

"But if you need someone to sleep with to keep the nightmares away, you could always bunk with me." He said jokingly.

"Really? Thank you." She said with relief, grabbing his hand and pulling him into his room.

_He had only been joking, he hadn't actually thought she would say yes_! He looked at his bed. He couldn't breathe and he felt over warm. He swallowed hard as she pulled him into bed with her.

"You're sure you don't mind?" She asked him.

He couldn't talk. _Did he mind? Hell no!_ He shook his head.

"Thank you." She said as she plastered her back against his chest, wrapping his arm around her so they were both laying on their sides spooning. She snuggled in deeper, her ass pressing into his crotch. "Are you comfortable?" She asked him.

"Yes." He managed to squeak out.

"Good, me too." She sighed as she shifted her ass more firmly into his crotch.

Raphael closed his eyes and hoped she didn't move around anymore. He was already hard and her rubbing against him was making it worse and felt way to damn good.

She was hugging his arm which lay between her breasts, her fingers threaded through his own. "Goodnight Raphael." She said sleepily.

He looked down at her and realized she was still wearing her kitten ears. "Goodnight Kitten." He said softly. He closed his eyes and pulled her close smelling the soft smell of flowers that drifted from her.

He wondered how he was ever going to get to sleep. With her pressed against him like she was, it was taking all of his willpower not to touch all of the velvety soft skin that was exposed. Then he remembered what he was. He had no idea what her feelings were for him; if there was even a chance that she could look at him as more than just a mutated turtle. _Would she even let him touch all of that soft skin?_ He wondered. Of course she didn't seem to mind him touching her. He looked at the back of her head and then remembered that she was leaving not tomorrow, but the next day. He settled down and pulled her tightly to him. There wasn't enough time. He closed his eyes. It didn't matter. She was leaving. The thought made his heart hurt.

* * *

Okay I know, things will start moving along soon and some stuff is going to start happening I promise! =) Hope you enjoyed please feel free to R&R!


	8. Chapter 8

Just wanted to thank Forgottenforever13 for the wonderful review! It makes writing totally worth it!=) Hope everyone enjoys this next chapter. (It's kinda long,but I just can't seem to write short ones!)

* * *

Chapter 8

Leonardo looked around the lair. Donatello was in the kitchen making some breakfast. "Morning." He said as he walked to the kettle to make a cup of tea.

"Morning Leo." Donatello said half heartedly.

Donatello was staring at the half eaten plate of pumpkin shaped sugar cookies. Leonardo felt a wave of gloom pass over him.

"Kitten up yet?" He asked. They had all adopted Raphael's nickname for her. They really couldn't help it. Besides, if they all called her Kitten then Raphael didn't have a special name only he got to call her.

"No one is. They will probably all sleep pretty late today. Knowing Michelangelo they probably pulled an all nighter."

Leonardo nodded his head yawning.

Michelangelo emerged from his bedroom about an hour later. "Morning." He said yawning and stretching his arms over his head. "Kitten isn't leaving today." He said happily. Leonardo and Donatello looked at him in surprise. "Made her watch a ghost movie last night, totally freaked her out, said she wasn't going to be able to go to her dead Uncle's house today, but she's still going to go tomorrow." He frowned. "How do we get her to stay?" He asked his brothers.

"She can't stay Mikey." Leonardo said as he made himself another cup of tea and cleaned up his breakfast dishes.

"But why not?" He asked desperately.

Leonardo sighed. He had fought with the same question, but the answer was always the same. "Because we aren't and can never be a part of her world Mikey. She's not a stray kitten, we can't just keep her. She's got a life Mikey, responsibilities, and so do we. We have been neglecting all of our duties since she came here." He told his brother firmly. He looked around the kitchen. "Where's Raphael?" He asked.

"Still sleepin' probably." Michelangelo said gloomily as he got himself a bowl of cereal.

Leonardo walked into the living room. He looked at the empty couch and frowned. "It was Raph's turn to sleep on the couch wasn't it?" He asked Michelangelo.

Michelangelo yawned. "Something like that. Kitten was supposed to crash in his room, unless, you don't think Kitten left do you?" Michelangelo asked putting down his spoon, cereal uneaten.

"Her stuff's still here." Donatello said lifting his head from the magazine he was reading and pointed to the basket of laundry that still needed to be folded.

"Then where...?" Leonardo asked in confusion as his eyes strayed to Raphael's closed door.

Michelangelo's eyes widened in shock and Donatello put his magazine down. Leonardo walked to Raphael's door.

"Uh, you sure you want to do that bro?" Michelangelo questioned.

Leonardo looked at the doorknob. Did he want to know? He felt himself pale, then flush, as the jealous rage that had been simmering since Raphael had had his hands all over Katherine last night began to boil over.

"Are you okay Leonardo?" Katherine's voice asked from behind him.

Relief washed through him. He turned around slowly. Katherine stood with his jacket on holding a fancy frappa something, or cappuccino latte something from one of those fancy coffee shops. "Hot chocolate." She said as he stared at her hand. "Want some?" She asked holding it out for him.

"No, um..." He coughed. "I'm fine."

"Raphael still sleeping?" She asked.

"Must be." He said.

She nodded taking a sip of hot chocolate. "Are you sure you're okay, you look a little flushed." She asked uncertainly.

"No, it's fine, I'm fine." He managed to say, trying to calm his heartbeat. She was standing way too close to him.

"I told Michelangelo that I would stay another night, but I think I should get going today." She said softly. "I'm just going to pack all of my stuff up." She said awkwardly. "Thank you Leonardo." She said, his name rolling from her lips like an invitation. She touched the side of his face softly, then turned to go and gather her things.

It took all of Leonardo's willpower not to beg her to stay. But she needed to go. The sooner she was out of their lives the sooner he would stop longing for something he could never have. The sooner he would remember where his place was in the world; on the outside, always looking in.

He just wish it didn't hurt so much.

* * *

Raphael was woken up by a quiet knocking at his door. He glared at the door, rolled out of bed and stomped over to it. He opened it quickly hoping to yell at whoever was bothering him. He looked down at Katherine who's eyes were round with surprise.

"Good afternoon Raphael. " She said with a smile. Raphael had learned Katherine was a morning person. It meant she was as bright and chipper first thing in the morning as she was throughout the rest of the day. He however, was not a morning person. He knew he was growly until he managed to wake up, preferably sometime after noon. He remembered then, her rolling softly out of bed, and thanking him for keeping all of the nightmares away.

"You were up early." He growled at her. He had wanted to wake up with her in his arms this morning. On the other hand maybe it was better she hadn't stayed until he was fully awake. He may not have been able to resist touching her, and kissing her, and then he would be even more miserable than he was right now because he would know what she felt like, know what she tasted like, and then she would be gone and he would know what he was missing.

He glared back at his clock. "It's 12:00pm." He growled.

"I know, I'm not a sleepyhead like you." She smiled. " I just wanted to give you back your clothes and say thank you before I left." She said handing him a bundle of clothes that all smelled like her.

Her announcement hit him like a bucket of cold water. "Left?" He asked in surprise. "But you said you were going to wait another day." He said desperately.

She shrugged. "I know, but my Uncle's house isn't getting dealt with and it is already into November. I can't be putting it off any longer. I need to find a car rental place, a map ,and get moving."

He glared down at her. "We'll give you a ride. Leo said that he would make sure you got to your Uncle's so we'll get you to your Uncle's."

She looked like she was going to protest, changed her mind, then nodded. "Okay, but it is a two hour drive, are you sure you are okay with that?"

Raphael nodded his head. Two hours. That was it. Two hours was all the time he was going to have left with her. Anger roared through him. She couldn't just walk out of their lives. She touched his shoulder gently her hand warm against his bare skin. "Are you okay Raphael?" She asked him.

_No he damn well was not okay_! _She was going to leave_. His shoulders slumped. It wasn't like she had given any indication that she thought of him as anything more than just a friend. He looked into her concerned moss green eyes and wondered if he should tell her how he felt. He wondered if she would change her mind. "Kitten..." He said reaching out and brushing her cheek with his hand. She looked at him. "I'll get dressed." He said through a throat that was too tight.

She nodded.

* * *

Michelangelo watched her pack with a heavy heart. Leonardo had made it clear to him that he was not supposed to try to make her stay. It hadn't taken her very long to pack. She looked around the lair making sure she had everything. She then pronounced she was ready as she would ever be and they all piled into the modified armoured truck they had stolen from the Red Dragons. Donatello was driving, while Leonardo was riding shotgun, Leaving Raphael, himself and Katherine to sit on the bench in the back. The truck was filled with a depressing silence.

Katherine was currently curled up and sleeping, her head leaning against his shoulder, hand clasped tightly in his. Michelangelo admitted to himself he was still tired as well. He lay his head on hers and went to sleep. Sleeping was by far better than having to deal with the oppressive silence of the truck.

* * *

Katherine opened her eyes as Raphael shook her awake. "Hey Kitten, we're here. I think." He said to her as she groggily sat up. Michelangelo's head slid off of her own, waking him up.

"Are we here?" Michelangelo asked sleepily.

She looked down at herself. She was curled into Michelangelo her hand clasped in his. She closed her eyes. _Even when she was sleeping she couldn't help but seek out their touch._ She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed forward so she could see out the window.

There was a well kept iron gate that was currently closed and locked. Beyond that was a winding driveway that led to a mansion. She looked at the house in shock.

"You're sure this is the right address?" She asked in shock.

"Yup." Donatello said looking at the address she had given him.

"How rich did you say your family was?" Michelangelo asked peeking over her shoulder.

"I didn't, and we're not. I have to work three jobs during the summer just to pay for my tuition." She said still in shock. She pulled out the keys that had come to her. She fingered through them and found the one that looked like it would open the gate. She climbed over Leonardo and opened the door. She hopped down, walked to the gate and inserted the key. It opened which meant they were in the right place. She swallowed and climbed back in the truck. Leonardo pulled her down into his lap as Donatello drove up the slightly overgrown driveway.

"When you said you have to deal with your Uncle's estate I didn't think you meant Estate" Raphael said to her.

She felt pale and a little overwhelmed. "I was expecting a bungalow, not...this." She said looking at the Victorian style mansion. Actually for all she knew it was built during the Victorian era. It was painted a powder blue with white trim. There was a white wraparound porch, a turret, and even a gabled roof. It was well taken care of, the Grounds looked pristine, and she thought Grounds because the place must have been sitting on at least 10 acres of partially forested land.

Donatello pulled up to the front door. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled away from an embrace that she wanted to stay in forever.

She got out of the truck and looked at the massive structure. "I'll be lucky to get out of here before Christmas." She said to herself numbly.

The brothers had all climbed out of the truck and were looking at the house in shock. Raphael whistled. She walked up the steps to the front door. She put the key in the lock and it turned easily. She swung the door opened and looked at the grand entryway. The flooring was dark hardwood, the walls tastefully painted a pale yellow with white trim. There were crown mouldings, plaster ceilings, a chandelier, and a dark wood staircase that led to the second floor. Rich oriental rugs covered the floors, paintings and tapestries adorned the walls.

She swallowed. _And this was just the entryway_. SHe thought to herself. "Your Uncle Carin didn't happen to leave you any money did he?" Michelangelo asked.

"There is a safe. I don't think Uncle Carin liked banks. All they said in the Will was the house, property and all of its contents was left to me. An envelope with all of the legal documents as well as a list of all the contents and any money was supposed to be left in the desk in his office."

"Well it looks like you are now a very rich woman." Leonardo said softly as he put a hand on her shoulder. "It looks like you have a lot to do. Good luck Katherine."

She blinked and looked at Leonardo. Somehow the sound of her name on his lips was uncomfortable. He was smiling but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Goodbye Leonardo. Thank you for everything." She said as she gave him a hug. She breathed in his musky scent that always reminded her of a mountain spring.

She gave each of the brothers a hug and struggled with an overwhelming sense of loss. Donatello gave her a card. She looked at it in surprise. "That's the number of your lawyer. April said that he is very good. I have talked to him a few times and he has begun all of the legal paperwork regarding the inheritance and taxes on the property."

She looked at Donatello in shock. "You mean you actually hired a lawyer?"

"I didn't want you to have to worry about any of this until you were recovered enough to worry about it." He said softly as he took her hand and began absently tracing something in her palm.

"Thank you, so much." She whispered pulling him into an embrace that she had a hard time breaking.

They filed out of the door which she closed softly behind them. The image of Raphael looking back at her struck her through the heart. She walked over to the stairs and sat down numbly looking at the door. She looked into her palm, where Donatello had unknowingly drawn a heart.

She tried to calm and sort through the emotions that were running through her. She was overwhelmed by the amount of work she was going to have to do to get her Uncle's estate in order, but this didn't bother her. She filed that emotion away under 'not important'. It would get done eventually. She poked and prodded at her other feelings. She wasn't an overly emotional person in general. She had never worried about anyone, she had never missed anyone, and had never had any stronger feelings than friendship for anyone outside her family, until now.

She ran a hand through her hair as she examined the feelings she had known were there, but hadn't had the courage to examine. She had worried about them when they had been out on patrol. She looked at the closed door. They had only been gone a few minutes and yet if felt like it had been days and all she wanted was to see them, hear them, and touch them again.

It had hurt her heart when she had walked into the lair and found Leonardo telling Michelangelo that they could never be a part of her life, that she had responsibilities and so did they. She had decided then that he was right, and that she had to leave.

Frustrated she grabbed all of the emotions that were jumbled inside of her and shoved them in a box. She would look at them later. She didn't have time to be sitting around thinking about the hole that seemed to have suddenly opened up within her heart.

She would examine all of those feelings and emotions another time. She stood up and walked to the door of the house. There had been a tingling sensation the moment she had entered the house that was making her skin crawl. She had been telling Raphael the truth, she did not like ghosts, and it didn't matter if he didn't believe in them, she did. She hadn't really been able to see them but she could feel them and right now she knew that she wasn't alone in the house.

She sighed and sat down. For all of her logical reasoning this one bit of her personality was so far out of the realm of logic it wasn't even funny. They would all think she was insane for doing what she was about to do. It was the one piece of herself she didn't like sharing with others because people thought you were strange when you started talking about ghosts being able to 'sense' them.

She sat cross legged on the floor, closed her eyes and let her senses roam throughout the house. She didn't have to know what the house looked like, or know how big it was, she was essentially just fishing in a lake. All she had to do was find the sweet spot, or spots as the case may be. She scanned the upper level, which seemed clear, only the faint trace of a presence, and moved down to the main floor. She got the impression of something male and something aware. She travelled down into the basement and found nothing but the faint trace of the male presence. She opened her eyes and stood up. One ghost. At least she had to assume it was a ghost. The male presence seemed unusually strong, and although it seemed to be centered at the moment on the main floor, she got the impression of him being able to roam the entire house. "Goody." She said to herself. It was better when they were confined to a single spot, then she could have just avoided that particular room.

Katherine sighed and massaged the knots that had formed in her shoulders. She was going to have a hard time sleeping here. She could do it of course, but it would bother her. She had been grateful for Raphael's presence the night before. His skin had been cool to the touch, but her body had warmed it. His arms had pulled her in tightly against his body, and awareness had blazed through her. She had wanted...She stopped that line of thought. She had felt safe and warm and she had felt like she was right where she belonged.

When she had woken up. Raphael was partially laying on his back, she had been facing him, head laying on his shoulder, arm across his chest, leg threaded through his. Desire had raced fast and strong through her as she looked into his sleeping face. She had slowly gotten out of bed, thanked him and went outside for some air and to get her head back on straight. She hadn't known what had come over her, but all she knew was that had not been the first instance of a flash of desire rolling through her when it came to any of the brothers. There was something about them that seemed to attract her. The problem was that there didn't seem to be one brother in particular that her body reacted to any more or less than the others, which meant that her hormones must be having a freak out or something. At least that is what she kept trying to tell herself.

She shook herself free of her ruminations and began systematically exploring the house. She started with the office. She felt the male presence strongly in this room. She ignored him and began looking around the room. She found the legal documents as well as the list of everything that was included in the Will. She left the envelope unopened because she wasn't quite ready for that particular can of worms.

She had looked over the office which was more of a study or a library. The shelves were filled with books. It made her drool just looking at all of the books, most were old and bound in leather. It had taken all of her willpower to not sit and look through all of the shelves. She knew she had time enough for that later. There was a laptop on the desk so her Uncle hadn't been one of those older people who had hated technology. This assessment had been further confirmed by the theatre room, complete with step seating, theatre sized screen, and even a popcorn machine.

She explored the house which was a strange mix between the opulently rich and formal, with sumptuous furniture, antiques, plush carpets, and decadent window coverings; and modern and informal, with its theatre room, state of the art kitchen and beautifully modern bathrooms.

There was a room dedicated to a collection of antiques which should have belonged in a museum. The items ranged from furniture, to weaponry, to clay pots and bowls. She had a hard time leaving this room as well. She also found a training room filled with training dummies, and martial arts weapons. On one wall was a mirror and the floor had been padded. A heavy bag hung from the ceiling in the corner.

She looked at the room in confusion. The brothers had a room like this one. She remembered watching them train, well except Raphael who had been banned from physical activity. Raphael and her had sat and watched his brother's practice their techniques. She watched as muscles moved, bunched and released. Sweat coursed down toned bodies as they moved to a rhythm that was smooth and graceful. Each movement was perfectly controlled, each muscle moving with absolute control.

The remembrance of those strong arms wrapping around her brought a flush to her face. She shook her head. Each brother had taken her into his arms at some point.

She remembered Michelangelo looking at her so seriously one night as he cornered her before she went into his room to sleep. He had touched her cheek and she had been surprised by the awareness that had blazed through her.

She knew his brothers thought of Michelangelo as the 'baby' brother, and the laid back goofball of the group, but she had found that he was unusually astute. Behind all of his laughter and all of his jokes he was the one who worried about his brothers the most. He didn't worry so much about their physical well being, that was more Leonardo's thing, but their emotional well being was what he helped with, even if his brothers never realized it. He laughed and tried to keep everyone's spirits up and keep the group happy and positive. She admired this about him.

It had been strange seeing such a serious expression on his face. "I like you Kitten." He had whispered to her in the quiet of the lair that night. "I think you need to sort some things out, but I think, you belong with us." He had pulled her into a strong embrace, briefly kissed her cheek and left her to stare after him in shock as he settled onto the couch for the night.

She shook her head. She didn't have time to be thinking about them. She moved onto the second floor where there were eight bedrooms, each containing a private bath. She had never seen a house that was so large. _The upstairs must have been remodelled_. She thought to herself, because with what she knew about Victorian architecture, there should not have been a modern private bath in each room. There may have been a 'water closet' of some sort, in the master bedroom, but not in every single bedroom.

She was impressed though at whoever had done the remodel, because everything looked as if it was original to the house.

She decided she would leave the basement until later. She was going to check the Kitchen and make a list of food she was going to need, as well as check out the garage and hope there was a vehicle she could use to get to the nearest town to buy some supplies.

She went through the back door to into the yard. There was a garage that was actually attached to the house. She frowned. That must have been an addition. At home everything would be covered in snow by now, here the trees were bare of leaves and the grass had turned brown long ago. It was in the depressing stage between the painted splendour of fall and white sparkling beauty of winter.

She turned and walked into the house, rummaged through the cupboards which were all bare, and breathed a small sigh of relief that the fridge was bare as well. She hadn't relished the thought of having to clean out a fridge full of rotten food.

The good news was she didn't need a list, because the list would only say everything. She found the entrance to the garage through the kitchen. In the garage was a black crotch rocket, a sleek black Porsche Cayman, and a Hummer. The third bay of the garage was taken up by all manner of tools, a work bench and shelving. Along one wall there was a computer as well as a bunch of scientific equipment similar as to what she had seen in Donatello's lab.

Katherine frowned backing away from the garage. Her Uncle must have been one very strange man. She thought to herself. Although now that she thought about it she didn't recall seeing any pictures throughout the house of anybody.

She walked through the kitchen in thought. She walked back to the office where the male presence was still present. She looked at the envelope, ripping it open and pulling out its contents.

There was a stack of legal documents, the deed to the house, a listing of the contents of the house, and a listing of monies left to her. She felt herself fall into the leather chair behind her as she stared at the sum of money left in a safe behind the picture of the 'Man and Dog' according to the instructions.. She would never have to worry about money again. She could pay off her parent's mortgage and send both her brothers to school. And yet somehow, she really didn't care about the money for herself. It was nice, but...She shook her head.

She stared at the sum of money and wondered why her Uncle Carin had left it all to her. There was no letter of explanation and nothing in the stack of papers that would enlighten her. She lifted up the papers and watched as something fell to the ground. Curious she picked it up. She looked at the card in confusion. She knew what it was, but she didn't understand how it would have managed to get in with the papers and legal documents. She looked at the back but nothing was written there so she turned the oversized card back around and stared at the image of the Hanged Man.

She knew what a Tarot card was, and had even played with a deck in High School, but she was not familiar enough with the 78 cards to know exactly what the card meant, but she knew it was one of the Major Arcana.

She shuffled through the papers again looking for any other cards but found none. She opened her Uncle's desk and sorted through it, finding no other cards. She frowned as she tapped the card on the desk. She shrugged and put it back on the desk. She stood up. She had to get to the store before it got dark and make her way back here. She rummaged through the desk and was thankful when she managed to find a map. She looked around the room was thankful that the place actually had heat and power. She pulled Leonardo's trench coat closed and stopped. She looked down at the coat and realized she had never bought a new one, and he had never asked for it back. It still smelled like him.

She shook her head, walked back to the kitchen, grabbed the keys for the Porsche she had seen hanging on the hallway wall that went to the garage. She looked at the Porsche turned around and walked back into the hallway. She traded the Porsche keys for the Hummer. It was cold and she figured it would be better on the back roads.

* * *

"So what that's it Leo, we just going to walk away and leave her in that great big house all alone in the middle of nowhere?" Raphael asked him, his voice angry and rough.

He closed his eyes against the urge that flowed through him to turn around and march back to the house. The startled look of surprise that they were leaving and the hurt that he had seen in her eyes had nearly unmanned him. He had been so close to grabbing her and begging her, pleading with her to stay with him. He had been so close to telling her he loved her, but he knew that she was now free to pursue all of her dreams. She would have enough money to go to school, take her Masters in mortuary archaeology, perhaps find a great guy, settle down, have kids and be happy. He just had to ignore the feeling of his heart shattering and the pain bubbling up threatening to choke him.

"Yes Raph, that is it. We walk out of her life because we don't belong in it." He said to his angry brother.

"We don't belong in it, huh Leo?" Raphael growled.

"No we don't." He turned around and faced Raphael, anger and hurt roaring through him like a tidal wave. "We can't belong in her world Raph, which means we would be forcing her into ours!" He yelled at his brother.

"What's so wrong with our world Leo?" He roared at him.

"Look behind you Raph." He yelled pointing at the house behind them. "That is her world, we live in a sewer. We would be asking her to give up everything, to do what? Stay with us? Why would she stay with us Raph, why would she stay here? She has a life back home, she is going to England in two months! All of her family and all of her friends, her entire life is in Canada, not here! Our lives are dangerous Raph, or have you forgotten that? We would be putting her in danger!"

"We could protect her!" Raphael snarled at him.

"Raph," Leonardo said calmly. "She didn't ask for us to stay." He said quietly.

Leonardo watched as his brother's face paled. He closed his eyes and nodded. They climbed into their truck, took one last look at the house that almost seemed to shimmer in the daylight, and drove away.

* * *

Katherine stomped back into the house. The silence startled her. She enjoyed silence, she enjoyed being alone more than anything else, but for some reason the silence that greeted her was oppressive. _When had she become used to the constant noise of others? When had constant noise, constant movement become comforting rather than irritating? _She wondered.

She put the bag of groceries down on the kitchen counter. She had been glad she had grabbed the Hummer. It had started snowing on the way home and the roads had become slick unusually quickly. She had hit a patch of black ice which had caused her to slide into oncoming traffic. Unfortunately for her there had been a semi heading directly towards her; Luckily for her the Hummer had great traction and she had been driving the much more treacherous roads in Canada for years. She knew how to drive in winter. She had managed to pull herself out of the slide and get back into her own lane.

The snow had stopped by the time she had gotten back to the house. She felt as if the universe had it in for her. She looked down on the countertop and saw the Hanged Man sitting there. She picked the card up. A feeling of trepidation and foreboding crawled down her spine.

* * *

Wow that was a long chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! After reading this chapter I realized I had everyone's thoughts and feelings except for Donatello's. But he has a starring role in the next chapeter Please read and reveiw!


	9. Chapter 9

Hey all, so next chapter is up!=) Thank you again forgottenforever13 for your amazing review of the last chapter, it really means a lot! I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 9

Katherine was trying to sleep, but couldn't. The silence of the house was oppressive. She was having a hard time dealing with her Uncle's literal Estate. There was too much. Just the contents of the house alone were worth a fortune. This was a big problem because she didn't feel it was right to sell any of the antique collections, or the book collections or anything in the house really. She was at a complete and total standstill. She knew she needed to do _something_, but she didn't know what the _something_ was. She felt oddly reluctant to sell the house, but she couldn't keep it, and yet she _wanted_ to keep it. She didn't know why. It was an amazing house, but it was in the States and she lived in Canada. It had no emotional or sentimental value to her, and yet she was reluctant to do anything, but stay right where she was. This was strange to her considering the uneasy tingling of something was constantly making her skin crawl.

The presence of the male had not abated any in the month she had been here. He had begun watching and following her. She was finally able to see him. Just out of the corner of her eye she was able to see a dark silhouette. He didn't feel malicious or angry or even curious, more it felt like he was waiting for something, what, she wasn't sure, and this gave her a feeling of dread that sat in her stomach like a lead weight.

If this were not bad enough, her heart hurt, not physically, but emotionally, she was heart sore. She hadn't known why, had struggled with why. She felt like she had lost something important. She had been hurt at Leonardo's words, his desire to have her out of his life, and yet this hurt had, she discovered, run deeper than even she had known.

She had tried locking the hurt in a box in her head, but she found she hadn't been able to put it there. Every time she would look at the box, it would be open exposing the hurt to her mind's eye. _Why?_ She asked herself. _Why did not being with them hurt so much? _She huffed out a frustrated breath. She had been avoiding dealing with the emotions in the box, but perhaps if she actually dealt with them, she could finally get some sleep and would no longer experience the overwhelming feeling of loss and hurt that had blazed through her the day the four brothers had walked out of her life.

She opened the box, dragged every thought and emotion out and logically looked sifted through them.

She had known she was attracted to them. This should have bothered her, but it didn't. Their appearance had never bothered her. Not from the first moment when she had seen Raphael, frightened and angry as he plunged his sai into her. In fact, she found them to be the most attractive men she knew.

She missed them, she worried for them, she felt more than friendship for them. She blinked at the realization. She poked at her feelings again as she analyzed them. She definitely felt more than friendship for all of them. She examined each of the brothers. Each of them had qualities that attracted her to them, but was there any one of them that she had a preference for? She examined her feelings. There was something about Raphael that distinguished him from his brothers, but if she was to explain what that something was, she couldn't explain it. He called to her somehow, and yet...and yet all of his brothers drew her to them as well

Sometime during the poking and prodding of her feelings, and the conclusion that she was no closer to understanding her feelings, she managed to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning.

* * *

Donatello watched as his brothers skirted the edge of the rooftop. They slowly crouched down to get a better view of the twenty or so Red Dragons who were loading a truck up with what looked to be weapons. It had been a month since Katherine had left, but it had felt like an eternity.

Every single one of his brothers was feeling the loss of her presence. Leonardo was more angry than Donatello had ever seen him. The tight rein he had always had on his emotions had broken. He spent much of his time alone training; constantly pushing his body to its physical limit so when he would be finished for the day he would be close to exhaustion. Raphael's rage simmered just below the surface. Donatello had been expecting a vicious rage, but Raphael had become oddly silent and withdrawn. Usually Raphael and Michelangelo would spend an inordinate amount of time watching TV or playing video games, but now, Raphael seemed to spend most of his time in his room throwing shuriken into his walls. Michelangelo had also withdrawn, their upbeat brother had become morose and silent, spending most of his time listlessly channel surfing, but not actually watching anything.

As for himself, Donatello had done what he did best. He threw himself into his work, his inventions, and his science.

However Leonardo had decided for the last few weeks that they had neglected their duties long enough, and so their nightly patrols had begun again. The problem was, with the exception of Leonardo and possibly Raphael, neither he or Michelangelo felt very much like patrolling at the moment.

Donatello's eyes focused on the Red Dragons. Leonardo motioned for Donatello to follow him, and for Raphael and Michelangelo to go around behind the Red Dragons. He and Leonardo would strike from the front. He gripped his bo tightly. He followed his older brother as they slipped silently to street level. They hid in the alley directly in front of the running truck into which the weapons were being loaded. The smell of garbage and general despair drifted up and hit his nostrils hard. He clenched his teeth as he tried to focus on the task at hand. Leonardo gave the signal and as one they moved. They hit the Red Dragons hard, Michelangelo and Raphael hitting them from behind.

His breathing became faster as his muscles worked to strike and lash out at the momentarily surprised Red Dragons. He avoided a bat from his left and kicked at an oncoming Dragon armed with a metal pipe. A chain wrapped itself around his bo almost pulling it from his grip. He could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down the back of his neck as he strained against the pull of the chain. He pulled harder throwing his opponent off balance. He kicked the Dragon in the face and he went down hard. He hit a Dragon who had gotten the drop on Michelangelo. His bo hit the soft flesh of his back, he cried out in pain as Michelangelo knocked him unconscious with a blow from his nunchuck.

The Dragons began shouting, Donatello turned towards the noise as he heard the crack of a gun being fired, He saw Leonardo, who was in front of him, leap out of the way. Pain ripped through his chest as he fell to his knees in shock. He looked at the blood that had blossomed on his chest, the red standing out starkly against the white of his jacket. He felt himself falling forward, his brother's voices calling his name, but the sound was so far away. Donatello closed his eyes and his world went black.

* * *

Leonardo watched as the Red Dragons who weren't unconscious began jumping into the truck. They had yelled a retreat. _They were going to get away!_ Anger rolled off Leonardo. Leonardo watched as the Dragons began to pull guns. A shot was fired and he dodged to the left. He heard a shout, but his focus was on the truck that had pulled away, tires squealing as more shots were fired from the back of the retreating truck.

"Damn it!" He snarled in anger. He turned quickly to search for his brothers to see if they could possibly tail the truck. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of Donatello, lying in Michelangelo's arms, his chest a bloody mess.

His anger left him to be relaced by fear and horror. "Donny?" He managed to choke out as he rushed to his brother's side. Raphael was already leaning over Donatello's prone form.

"I can't find a pulse." Michelangelo whispered in fear.

Raphael closed his eyes and checked for Donatello's pulse, his face grim."He's still alive." Raphael's face was pale and strained. Raphael turned accusing eyes towards him. "Well Fearless?" He asked angrily. "What do we do?" Raphael was furious.

"It's my fault." He whispered. He hadn't known Donatello was right behind him. The bullet that had been meant for him had hit Donatello instead, and now...and now, he was dying.

"Damn rights it's your fault Leo!" Raphael roared at him.

"This isn't helping Donny." Michelangelo's soft worry, and terror filled voice intruded.

"Help me get him up." Raphael growled at Michelangelo. "We're taking him to Kitten."

Leonardo's head swung around in surprise. "Raph, she's two hours away!" He yelled, anguished fear filling him.

"You got a better idea Fearless, cause I'd love to hear it. I don't know about you, but I don't know what to do with a gunshot wound. Donny's the one who always patches us up! If you can save him, then be my guest!" Raphael yelled, his voice breaking as his worry overrode his anger.

"She's not a doctor." He whispered.

"She's the closest thing we got." Raphael said grimly.

Leonardo nodded in acknowledgement. He just hoped she would be able to save Donatello. They loaded him into their truck. Michelangelo had refused to let Donatello's pale limp body be taken from him. Donatello oppened his eyes.

"Donny?" Michelangelo asked him.

Donatello frowned in confusion. "I'm cold." He whispered.

Raphael drove like all the demons of Hell were on his tail, or perhaps he drove as if he could outrun Death himself. Michelangelo was constantly checking Donatello's pulse while Leonardo tried to staunch the flow of blood. "Come on Donny, just hold on a little longer." Leonardo pleaded.

Donatello's skin was pale, and clammy, his breathing was beginning to become rapid. They managed to make it to Katherine's door within an hour. Each minute had been an eternity. Leonardo watched as his brother lost more and more colour, and his pulse got weaker and weaker by the minute. He was unconscious by the time they reached Katherine's door.

Leonardo leapt from the truck and ran to the door. The gate had been open and the house blazed with lights. The door opened before he even reached the front step. Katherine stood illuminated by the light in the hallway. She looked at him grimly. Her face was pale, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. "Bring Donatello upstairs, first door on the right." She said to him. "I hope you have medical supplies." She said walking past him to the truck at his shocked nod.

It didn't even occur to him to ask her how she had known they were here, or how she had known that Donatello was injured, he just moved out of the way as Michelangelo and Raphael brought their unconscious brother past them and into the house, following her to the back of the truck.

* * *

Katherine awoke as a feeling of utter and total wrongness raced through her. Her heart was beating a rapid tattoo in her chest. She looked around the room anxiously. The male presence was not in the room so that was not what was wrong. She closed her eyes and searched. _What had awoken her? What was wrong?_

_Donatello_. Her eyes shot open. She didn't know how or why she knew, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that something had happened to Donatello. She leapt from her bed and walked down the hallway to the stairs. She ran down the stairs in the dark, her legs and body moving without her mind even weighing in on what she was doing. She decided to just go with it rather than try to logically understand what the hell she was doing.

She ran to the library, switched on the lights, and began combing through the books. Most of them were old and she had no idea what she was looking for but hoped her brain would tell her when she found it.

Her fingers skimmed leather bound books and stopped at one pulling it out. She looked at the front of the book the title leaping out at her. _Treatment of gunshot wounds 1856. _She paled. She wasn't sure which was worse, that she now knew that Donatello had been shot, or that she had _known_ without knowing. She closed her eyes. Panic and hysteria welled up within her. She grabbed the emotions and shoved them hard into the little box in her head. She would have a mental breakdown later. Right now she needed to be prepared, they were coming, she knew they were. She sat down and scanned the book. She didn't know where he had been shot, but she hope it wasn't serious because if it was, Donatello was going to die. She wasn't a doctor and had only a rudimentary understanding of anatomy. For the most part she didn't deal with flesh, she dealt with bones. She would do the best she could, and she just hoped that her best would be good enough.

She got a basic idea of what she was doing and ran from the room, taking the book with her.

_What was she looking for?_ She wondered as her brain burned with the need to find something. _What had she seen that her brain was telling her was important?_ She stood at the bottom of the stairs and thought. He would be bleeding, fluids would need to be replaced. She was going to need an IV and saline drip, possibly oxygen. _Where the hell was she going to get that? _She didn't have any of that. She stood at the bottom of the stairs. Hopefully they had the equipment she would need. Donatello's medical supplies had been impressive, she had a feeling they must have raided an ambulance at some point in time.

She felt a tingling sensation crawl over her skin which was different than the constant crawling of skin she had had to contend with for the past month. They were getting close. She ran up the stairs to her room. She turned on the light and surveyed her room. It would do. She deposited the book on the nightstand. She ran to the linen closet in the hall and brought out more blankets and extra bedding. She managed to find a first aid kit and pulled out all of the bandages it had. She ran from the room and hit the kitchen. She opened the cupboards and searched furiously through them. She grabbed a jar and ran it back upstairs. She put it on the nightstand then raced back to the front door in time to open it before Leonardo had even managed to get onto the porch.

Leonardo was pale, and close to panic. She couldn't see Michelangelo, Donatello or Raphael yet. "Bring Donatello upstairs, first door on the right." She said to him calmly as she pushed down the absolute terror that was trying to overwhelm her. If she panicked the little box in her head would burst open and every single fear and emotion would burst out rendering her wholly incapable of completing the task she had before her. Michelangelo and Raphael came into view struggling under their brother's weight. He was unconscious which was a bad sign. "I hope you have medical supplies." She said walking past him to the truck at his nod.

She opened up the back of the truck, Leonardo's presence behind her was heavy, and full of fear and worry. "What happened?" She asked as she rifled through the storage shelves built into the side. She managed to find an IV drip, saline bag, more bandages, medical tape, IV needles, a suture kit, and forceps. She grabbed a bag that was lying on the floor and stuffed the supplies into it. She looked around the truck. She managed to find an oxygen tank and mask. She gave this to Leonardo and leapt from the truck, throwing the bag over her shoulder.

"We...we were scouting..." Leonardo began.

"Not helpful, where was he shot?" She asked him impatiently as she strode quickly up the steps of the porch.

"In the shoulder." Was the prompt reply.

Her mind calculated all of the variables of a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Possible bone damage, lung damage, arterial damage. "He is unconscious, it means his body is in shock, and if we don't treat that, he is going to die." She said as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

Michelangelo and Raphael looked up from their unconscious brother as they ran in. They had placed him flat on the bed.

"Move back." She ordered them. Her skin began to crawl as she tried to concentrate on what she was doing. The male presence was now in the room standing over her like some dark shadow if Death. She took a steadying breath, blinked away her tears and ignored the presence.

* * *

Leonardo looked at Katherine "Move back." Katherine ordered his brothers. Michelangelo and Raphael quickly moved out of the way. She pulled away the pad they had been using to stop the flow of blood. The bullet had grazed Donatello's chest leaving a deep laceration before embedding itself in his shoulder. When Leonardo had first seen the blood on Donatello's chest he had thought his brother had been shot in the chest, which would have been fatal.

Katherine nodded to herself. "Raphael keep applying pressure to the wound, we need to get Donatello stable first, then we will deal with the wounds." She grabbed the IV and began hooking it up. She put the solution above Donatello's head attaching it to a convenient iron curlicue that made up part of the headboard.

"Any of you ever inserted one of these things?" She asked holding up the IV needle.

Leonardo nodded. Donatello had taught him. "I can do it." He rasped out from a throat too tight for words. He was trying to quell the panic, but it kept rising up and choking him. He managed to insert the IV into Donatello's arm with a minimum of shaking. His eyes flicked to his brothers. Raphael was concentrating on his task, while Michelangelo was looking lost , panicked, and frightened all at the same time.

Meanwhile Katherine had thrown the oxygen mask over Donatello's face. She felt at his throat for a pulse. She closed her eyes. The room was deathly quiet. She opened her eyes and put a blanket over him. "Raphael help me roll him over a helped her roll him to the side. She looked at his back then rolled him back over.

She lifted Raphael's hand from Donatello's wound. She inspected it closely. And looked relieved. She pointed at the wound. "It looks like he was standing sideways when it hit him. The bullet struck the edge of his plastron, this sent the bullet into his shoulder at an upward angle, this helped to reduce its velocity, and by some miracle it didn't strike any bones. But it is still lodged in his shoulder." She closed her eyes. She seemed to be thinking furiously. "Which one of you is stronger?" She asked opening her eyes and touching Donatello's forehead. She looked between himself and Raphael.

"Raph." Leonardo managed to reply.

"Fine, Raphael you are up here with me. Leonardo and Michelangelo you take Donatello's legs. He's going to wake up soon and we have to get that bullet out. He isn't going to be happy about this and he is going to thrash around. I need you two to hold his legs, Raphael you will need to hold his upper body as still as you can so I can take the bullet out. I'll also need you to be quiet. I need him to focus on me and my words. If you guys all start crowding him, it will overwhelm him and I don't need him to start panicking alright?" She looked at each of them as they nodded in turn.

That was okay, Leonardo did not think he would be able to talk anyway. Bile was running hot in his throat and his tongue felt two sizes too big for his mouth.

"Donatello." Katherine said softly as she leaned towards him. "Donatello can you hear me?" She asked as she began stroking the side of his face gently.

Donatello blurrily opened his eyes. Michelangelo made a noise but managed to silence himself. "Hey Donatello." She said with a smile that held tenderness and affection. Donatello looked at her and then began to look around the room his eyes widening in confusion and panic. "Donatello, Donatello I need you to look at me." His eyes focused on hers. "Good, now you've been shot," His eyes widened in alarm. "And I need to take the bullet out okay?" She said soothingly. "It's going to hurt, I want you to bite down hard on this, your brothers are going to hold you down so you don't move okay?" She told him producing a tightly rolled strip of cloth.

Leonardo closed his eyes in horror and anger. If they were human, they could have taken Donatello to a hospital, instead here they were trying to save his life by the most basic of means. "Can't we give him anything for the pain?" Leonardo managed to choke out.

Katherien looked at him over her shoulder. "If you know what drugs to give him, and what dosage to give him that won't kill him." Katherine said. Leonardo shook his head. He didn't, that was what Donatello was for. Katherine looked at Leonardo sombrely, but with determination. She slipped her hand into his, giving it a quick squeeze before letting his hand go and turning her full attention back to Donatello.

She looked grimly at Raphael and nodded. Raphael placed his arm gently over Donatello's unhurt right shoulder and across his chest.

She picked up the forceps and looked at Donatello. Donatello closed his eyes turning his head away as if he didn't want to watch, he couldn't blame him, he didn't want to watch either, but he would.

Katherine took a deep breath and began probing his wound looking for the bullet. Donatello clenched his teeth and hands in pain. Then he began to buck, thrash and scream.

"Hold him down, the more he thrashes the worse it will be for him." Katherine said calmly. At that moment Leonardo could have almost hated her. Her calmness, her utter and total lack of any emotion was grating on his already frayed nerves.

Leonardo didn't know how long it took to dig the bullet out of Donatello's arm, minutes, hours, he wasn't sure, but eventually Donatello stopped struggling as he finally passed out from the pain.

Katherine pulled the bullet from his shoulder and stood looking at it. "To think such a small thing could bring about the end of a life." She said softly looking at the bullet. She dropped the bullet on the nightstand. The wound had begun bleeding and she began applying pressure. When the wound had finally stopped bleeding enough she had stitched up his shoulder and chest.

"Michelangelo hand me that jar." She said pointing to the jar of honey on the nightstand.

Michelangelo readily obeyed. They were all looking strained, exhausted and pale. She lathered up a folded pad with honey and placed it on the wound. She then began wrapping the wound quickly and efficiently. "Honey can be used as an antiseptic. This should stop much of Donatello's pain, stop necrosis and hopefully allow him to heal better." She said softly. She stood back and surveyed her handiwork. She nodded, checked his pulse again, and changed out the saline bag for a new one.

"Is Donny going to be okay?" Michelangelo asked in a small voice.

She looked at Michelangelo. "His body is stable." She said to him. "There are seven spare bedrooms, you all need some sleep." She said to them.

"We ain't leavin Donny." Raphael growled.

"Raphael do you trust me?" She asked him quietly. Raphael looked shocked but nodded his head. "Then know the best thing all of you can do for Donatello at this moment is to get some sleep. He will worry if he knows you all stood watch over him. I will stand watch since I am the most qualified to do so. If his condition changes or if he wakes up, I will come and get you. Trust me. You can all trip over yourselves making sure he is alright in the morning, until then, go to sleep." She said as she walked to the bathroom and began washing the blood off her hands.

She came back into the bedroom and began shooing them out the door. Leonardo's gaze fell upon the nightstand, his eyes widened as he read the title of the book laying there. She shoved him out of the room and closed the door in his face. He looked down the hallway.

"Raph?" Michelangelo asked.

"Yeah?" Raphael asked.

"Can I bunk with you?" He asked in a hollow voice.

"Sure Mikey." Raphael said as he opened the door to his left. Raphael's agreement showed his mental and emotional state. Raphael never let Michelangelo in his room, ever. Raphael was worried.

"Is Donny going to be okay?" Michelangelo asked.

"Kitten said he was, so he is." Raphael said with conviction as they entered the room. Raphael ushered Michelangelo in and gave Leonardo a glare before shutting the door.

Leonardo's shoulders slumped. Raphael was still angry with him. Not that he was surprised, he was furious with himself. If only he hadn't pushed Donatello so hard. He knew his brother, all of his brothers, were taking Katherine's absence hard, but he had thought immersing them into their former routine would help them forget her.

He had also hoped that they would finally realize that their lives were dangerous; that they had enemies who wanted them dead, and this night, their enemies had almost succeeded in killing his brother.

He blurrily stared at nothing. If only he hadn't jumped out of the way, Then it would be him and not Donatello laying on the bed. He would give anything to go back in time and have it so that he took the bullet instead.

"And what would have happened had you taken that bullet Leonardo?" Katherine's voice inquired from behind him.

He closed his eyes. He refused to face her. He was still angry with her and all of her calm rationality. "It would be me laying there instead of Donny." He said through clenched teeth. "That is the way it should have been. I should have at least warned my brothers that they were pulling guns, but I didn't. I messed up and now Donny's paying the price." His voice broke.

"Is Donatello paying the price for your mistake? Perhaps. But do you really believe that you would be laying in that bed? Where were you standing Leonardo?"

Leonardo closed his eyes as he tried to remember. He was facing the truck head on, the shooter aiming directly at him.

"Then you would be dead." She said grimly.

Leonardo's eyes opened as he realized he had spoken out loud. He turned around. She was calmly standing in the hallway, arms crossed.

"I think Donatello would pay the price he is now paying for your life, just as you would pay the price of your life for his." She said softly.

"Why are you so calm?" He growled at her.

"Who said I was calm?" She asked him. "Goodnight Leonardo." She said to him opening the door to Donatello's room. She paused and said something quietly as she slipped quietly back into Donatello's room.

But it had sounded as if she had said,_'if you had taken that bullet, I would have lost you_.'

He blinked as he tried to figure out if she had really said what he thought she had said. He rubbed his face. He was exhausted and he had probably just imagined it; putting words into her mouth that he wished she would say. He walked into the bedroom right beside Donatello's. He collapsed on the bed. He wouldn't sleep, but he figured he would be able to sneak in about an hour or so later, saying he had slept. He was determined to stand vigil at his brother's side.

This was Leonardo's last thought before sleep overcame him.


	10. Chapter 10

So next chapter is up! Thank you Liz for the review I very much appreciated it! You are awesome=) Hope you all enjoy this next chapter! (it's kinda long)=S

* * *

Chapter 10

**Katherine** looked at Donatello's pale unconscious form. She sat down at the edge of the bed. "Donatello, wake up." She said softly to him. "I need you to sleep, not be unconscious." She gently stroked his cheek. Pain filled dark brown eyes opened and looked at her.

"You are safe Donatello. I'll stay with you okay." She said to him. He closed his eyes without acknowledging that she had spoken to him. She slid beneath the covers and snuggled into his side. He was cold, but she tried to warm him with her body. His body was no longer in danger.

She wondered if his brothers knew how close to death he had been. Donatello had been mere minutes away from death. She placed her hand lightly over the pulse at his throat.

She knew the fight for Donatello's life was not over, not yet. Death was a tricky opponent and Donatello had suffered a great shock. She firmly believed that such things not only affected the mind and body, but also the soul.

She closed her eyes. The male presence was still in the room, somehow this was oddly comforting. She began to talk. She told Donatello stories of her childhood, her life, her dreams, everything she could think of. She thought maybe her voice would keep him anchored, keep his soul from wandering, because sometimes, even when the body was healing, the soul was still susceptible to the siren call of Death.

* * *

**Donatello** felt as if he was floating in some sort of nothingness. No, it wasn't nothingness, it was more, he felt as if he was gently drifting in swaying boat somewhere in the middle of a calm lake.

He knew he had been shot, and somehow Katherine was there. He knew he was out of danger, he knew Katherine had somehow pulled him through, so why did he feel so...disconnected? He felt as if he was drifting further and further away. He knew it would be so much easier just let go, let himself drift into the sweet nothingness of death.

"Don't you dare even think of it Donatello!" Katherine's angry voice broke through the calm.

He frowned. It _had_ been peaceful and quiet. "But it is so much less complicated here." He told her. "I finally have peace from all of the fighting, the sadness, the loneliness, the fear and pain. I am finally free from being who and what I am." He told her in a tortured voice.

"Death is so easy Donatello, living is the hard part, I never would have thought you would take the easy way out." She accused. "If you let go now, you will never know what might have been." She said in a voice that was hard and angry, yet tinged with fear and misery.

"A life of bitter loneliness." He said with conviction.

"You can't leave your brothers." She said heatedly.

He paused. _How had he forgotten about his brothers?_ He asked himself. It felt as if he just remembered that they existed.

"You can't leave me." She said in a soft shattered voice.

He was letting go, he knew he was, but, he couldn't let his brother's go, couldn't let _her_ go. He had to find her. The lake was no longer calm, death no longer appealed to him, but he was frightened because he didn't know how to find his way back.

"I can't do this alone Donatello, you have to help me!" Katherine's strained voice said to him.

"I don't know what to do!" He yelled at her.

"Find me!" She yelled at him. "Hurry!"

He stood up in the shaky boat he was standing in. He was surrounded by nothing but dark churning water. There was no sign of land and he couldn't see her anywhere.

"Donatello!" She yelled angrily. He reached out his hand in the direction of her voice. "Donatello. 'I won't let you go gently into that good night'." Katherine said with determination.

He saw her then, determined, frightened, angry and exhausted. The scent of flowers drifted in on the wind. She reached out her hand. He placed his hand in hers. "I have you. I will never let you go Donatello, I promise, I will never let go." And he knew she wouldn't. He saw a flash of silver, and warmth filled him.

Katherine stumbled and her hand began to fade. "Katherine!" He shouted. He looked at her, her teeth were clenched together in either pain or with strained effort.

"I see" She said, but he had the impression that she wasn't talking to him. She looked at her fading form. "I'll take you back Donatello, but I can't come with you." She whispered.

"Don't you dare!" Donatello said to her as he pulled her against him.

"Donatello...There is always a price for everything." She said to him, willing him to understand.

"Find a different price. I will not let you do this alone. I will help you however I can. I promise I will protect you, I will always protect you, I will not let you die!" He said fiercely.

Katherine looked at him. "Okay. Then we will do this together." She said softly. He saw flashes of gold and he felt something warm pulling through his body. She was pulling something from within him. He closed his eyes as the world went too bright for him to see.

* * *

**Raphael** opened his eyes. Light was streaming into his room. He sat bolt upright as the events of the night before came crashing down upon him. He leapt out of bed. He had taken his bloody clothes and thrown them on the floor. He looked at his clothing and decided he would rather walk around in his underwear than put on the clothing that now had Donatello's life blood spilt upon them. He looked at Michelangelo who was still snoring on the bed. He decided to let him sleep. He strode from the room almost running into Leonardo. Leonardo looked panicked.

Raphael's heart skipped a beat as he realized that something was wrong. "Is Donny...?" He asked Leonardo anxiously.

Leonardo shook his head. "I don't know, I just woke up. I didn't mean to sleep, I shouldn't have slept." Leonardo said angrily shaking his head with regret.

Raphael was still furious with his brother. He blamed Leonardo for pushing them so hard, for not warning them when he first saw them pull the guns. Raphael tried to stamp out his anger, but he couldn't. Instead he reached for the doorknob and quietly opened the door. Light streamed in through the windows. The room looked like a sickroom. There were bloody pads, empty saline bags, and discarded bandages littering the floor.

Katherine was curled up under the covers next to Donatello. She was holding his hand tightly, but she seemed to be awake. Donatello looked to be sleeping soundly. Donatello's colour seemed to have returned, he was no longer pale and grey.

He felt the tension in his shoulders ease as he breathed a sigh of relief. Katherine turned towards them. She sat up slowly as if the movement were painful. It was then he realized she must have been curled in the same position for most of the night and into the morning if the clock on the nightstand was any indication. It was noon. They had slept for nearly eight hours straight.

She slid out of the bed and faced them. She was pale, so incredibly pale that there was absolutely no colour in her cheeks. "He's going to be fine." She said in a hoarse voice. She closed her eyes and collapsed boneless to the ground.

"Shit." He swore as he reached her before Leonardo. He picked her up gently.

"She's exhausted." Leonardo whispered looking at her worried and guilt stricken.

Raphael felt guilt wash over him. They should have been here, they should have been the ones looking after their brother, not her. Raphael closed his eyes as he got angry at himself. "You watch Donny, I'll take her to bed." He said striding from the room.

He went back to the room he had shared with Michelangelo. "Mikey wake up." He said to his sleeping brother as he lay Katherine's sleeping form down on the bed.

* * *

**Michelangelo** woke up at his brothers words. His eyes snapped open as Raphael lay Katherine down on the bed beside him.

He sat up in shock. "She's exhausted, Donny's fine. She needs some rest." Raphael said softly as he pulled the covers over her body. Raphael reached out and gently ran his fingers over her cheek. "I'm sorry." He said to her.

Michelangelo climbed out of the bed. He did a double take at Raphael standing in his boxer-briefs. Raphael looked down at himself. "I need to get some laundry done. My clothes are covered in Donny's blood, and I just can't wear them like that." He said softly.

Michelangelo nodded. "We nearly lost him, didn't we?" He asked looking down at Katherine's sleeping form.

"Yeah." Raphael said with a terse nod.

"How did she know Raph? It is like she just _knew_, like she was waiting for us." Raphael looked at Katherine and frowned.

He shook his head. 'I'm not sure Mikey. We can ask her when she wakes up, till then, we should go check on Donny."

Michelangelo nodded. "Raph, I don't ever want to feel that way again." He said seriously to his brother. "I felt so helpless and useless. I never want to feel that scared for anyone ever again."

Raphael stopped in front of the door to Donatello's room. He closed his eyes. "Me neither Mikey, but the only way to never feel that way again, is to never feel anything for anybody ever again." He opened the door as Michelangelo acknowledged the truth of his words.

Leonardo was gripping Donatello's hand. Donatello was still sleeping.

"How's he doing Leo?" Michelangelo asked him.

Leonardo looked at him his eyes flicking to Raphael then quickly looking away. He shook his head. "He looks better, his pulse is good, he's sleeping soundly, but he hasn't woken up yet."

Michelangelo looked at Donatello's sleeping form. Raphael put his hand on his shoulder. "He'll wake up Mikey, don't you worry. He's been through a lot. Look how long we slept and we weren't the ones who got shot. He just needs some sleep."

"How's Kitten?" Leonardo asked quietly.

Anger raced through Raphael's eyes, and yet somehow Michelangelo felt that Raphael was angry with himself. "Sleeping." He said curtly.

Leonardo nodded. He stood up and grabbed a book from the nightstand. "I'll be back in a bit." Leonardo said as he strode quickly from the room.

"What's wrong with Leo?" Michelangelo asked Raphael.

Raphael just shook his head. "You going to look after Donny? I want to find the machine and wash my clothes."

Michelangelo nodded.

Raphael turned and left the room. Michelangelo walked over to Donatello's bedside and sat on the chair that Leonardo had just vacated.

He watched his brother sleep for a few hours with no change and no sign that he was any closer to waking up.

Raphael stormed in a few hours later, half dressed, covered in sweat and in an obvious rage. Michelangelo sighed inwardly. He and Leonardo had obviously been fighting again.

"I am..." Raphael began, then lowered his voice as he looked at Donatello's sleeping form. "So pissed off!" He snarled. "Leo screwed up, he screwed up so bad and he is being an ass!"

"Raph, Leo knows he screwed up, he already blames himself for what happened, poking at him and yelling at him isn't going to do any good." Michelangelo pointed out. "Why are you sweating so much?" He asked trying to distract his brother.

Raphael clutched his shirt tightly, his knuckles turning white. "There's a training room with a heavy bag. I went a few rounds with it to try to cool off and it didn't help." Raphael growled. "Leo wants to leave tomorrow, tomorrow can you believe it?" He asked angrily.

Michelangelo's eye ridges lifted in shock. "Tomorrow? Donny almost died last night!"

"I know. If Donny wakes up today and as long as Kitten's okay, Leo wants to leave tomorrow. I told him he was being an ass." Raphael said, beginning to work himself into an even deeper, all consuming rage.

"Have you checked on Kitten?" He asked with worry, switching the subject to distract him.

Raphael's anger evaporated as he shook his head. "I want to , I want to make sure she's alright, but she's such a light sleeper that I know if I go in, she'll wake up, and she's too damn stubborn to just rest when we tell her to rest, so if I wake her up she'll try to get up and look after Donny, then she'll try to look after us as well." He said looking at the door, a mixture of tenderness and frustration lacing his words.

It struck him then that Raphael had fallen hard for Katherine. He had known Raphael was in love with her, but he hadn't realized how badly in love with her he was. The fact that Raphael's rage had evaporated was surprising, but even more surprising was the way he actually cared about her.

Raphael and caring didn't generally go together. He tended to be self centered, egotistical, and didn't tend to care about the feelings or well being of others. This wasn't to say that Raphael didn't care about him and his brothers, he did. He loved them and was ferociously protective of them when they were in danger. But Raphael's care only extended so far. He cared about April and Casey, but beyond that Raphael had let no one else in. Raphael was aloof and tended to use his anger like a shield to keep everyone, including his brothers, at a distance, and yet somehow Katherine had slipped right past all of his barriers and lodged herself firmly into his brother's heart.

Michelangelo nodded in acknowledgment of Raphael's words. "You really love her, don't you Raph?" He asked quietly. He didn't know why he said it, didn't know why he wanted to broach the subject with the least forthcoming of his brothers, but somehow he felt they needed to talk.

Raphael's head whipped around fast enough to give him whiplash. He looked at Raphael steadily as he watched denial leap to his lips and embarrassment climb up his brother's cheeks.

Raphael was silent for so long he didn't think he was going to answer him. Finally Raphael gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. Raphael's shoulders slumped as he grabbed another chair that was positioned against the wall. He picked it up and moved it close to where Michelangelo was sitting.

Raphael dragged his hands down his face. "You probably think I'm an idiot, don't you?" He questioned.

Michelangelo shook his head looking at Donatello. He knew that Raphael had really not been expecting a reply. "She's smart, funny, beautiful, sweet, and a blast to be around, why would I think you were an idiot?" Michelangelo asked him gently.

"Because what chance do I stand?" He growled.

Michelangelo shrugged. "As much chance as the rest of us I suppose." Raphael frowned. "She isn't indifferent to us Raph. She's attracted to us, it's why she blushed so much." Michelangelo told him as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. He opened an eye and looked at his brother wondering if he was going to have to spell it out for him.

Raphael looked confused. Michelangelo sighed inwardly. _And they all thought _he_ was the dumb one._

"How do you think Leo feels about Kitten?" He asked his brother, looking at him.

Raphael shrugged. "I'd say he can't stand her. He avoided her like the plague when she was with us." Raphael frowned as he was searching his memory. "He was polite but distant." Raphael's frown deepened. "But..."

"How 'bout Donny?" Michelangelo asked breaking his brother's concentration.

Raphael thought about the question. "He seemed to avoid her too, but with Donny there would be times when he would sit and listen to her. Then there was the time he freaked out after Kitten was hurt, I've never seen Donny so angry." Confusion flashed across his face. "But Leo always looked angry when I got too close to her, and when Kitten was almost hit by that car, she told him she was 'fine', and he growled at her the 'he wasn't'." He frowned in thought again. "They were very protective of her, almost...possessive." Raphael grimaced as the little light bulb went off in his head. "So you're tellin' me that Leo _and_ Donny are in love with her." He asked him. Raphael's honey brown eyes searched his desperately. "You too, huh Mikey?" He said almost bleakly.

Michelangelo gave a regretful half smile. "Me too Raph." He said softly looking at Donatello.

He looked back at Raphael who seemed deep in thought. "So what now Mikey?" He asked.

Michelangelo shrugged blowing out a breath. "I don't know Raph. This last month has been hell. I hate feeling as if someone has ripped out my heart. I hate feeling like I am missing something, as if the best thing ever to come into my life had been taken away." He said seriously. "And yet...I get what Leo's doing. I get Leo's point of view. I don't say I agree with it, but I understand it." He motioned to the bed. "Our lives are dangerous, we would be pulling her into the middle of a gang war. She would have to give up all of her dreams if she wanted to be with one of us. And what happens to the brothers she doesn't choose, if she ever chose?" He shook his head. "Leo would rather run away than be hurt. He would rather break his heart himself than have her break it for him."

"So Leo thinks it's easier to never try, than to try and fail." Raphael growled angrily.

Michelangelo shrugged. Raphael looked as if he was assessing him. "What?" He asked.

"Since when did you get so smart?" Raphael asked.

Michelangelo smiled wryly. "I'm not just another pretty face you know."

Raphael nodded in acknowledgement. "So if you're so smart, who does she like better?" Raphael asked off-handily as if the answer did not matter, but Michelangelo could see the naked need in his brother's eyes.

He sighed. "I don't know Raph. I mean I know she's attracted to us, I know she feels more than friendship for us, but I can't tell if there is any one of us that she prefers. That's the frustrating thing." He said frowning. "The problem is that if I were to guess, I would say Donny or Leo. She has the most in common with them." He watched as Raphael paled. "Her and Donny talk for hours about all that history stuff and dinosaurs. But she isn't good with technology and is only a little interested in science. Her and Leo talk endlessly about books. They talk about all those old books like Shakespeare and stuff, she even got him reading comics Raph. She got Leo to read some of her manga and I've caught him playing video games with her. He hates video games, but there they were in the middle of the night playing an RPG, and Leo was having fun." Michelangelo said, shaking his head in amazement.

"You tellin me she's managed to pry the stick out of Leo's ass?" Raphael asked shocked.

Michelangelo shrugged. "Something like that."

"And she watches cartoons and reads comics with you. Plays video games with you, laughs at all of your really bad jokes." Raphael said softly. He closed his eyes. "But we've got nothing in common." He said quietly. "She can talk a good game about sports, but she isn't interested in them, she isn't a fighter, and I have no interest in comics, or history or any of that stuff."

Michelangelo looked at his shattered brother. "Raph I'm not going to pretend to understand women. The only woman I know is April, and she's with Casey. I wouldn't think those two had anything in common, but they love each other, and always seem to talk about things." He said with a shake of his head.

Michelangelo stood up and looked at him. "Guess I'll go get us something to eat, find Leo and try to talk some sense into him." He said as he walked to the door. He opened it to leave but paused looking back at his older brother.

* * *

**Raphael** looked at his sleeping brother, his thoughts chaotic and dark.

"Thing is Raph," Michelangelo said softly. He looked ain shock at the door. He had thought Michelangelo had already left, but his brother had paused halfway through the door. Michelangelo wasn't looking at him but he continued quietly. "She's managed to do what none of the rest of us has ever been able to." He said softly.

"Yeah, what's that?" Raphael asked gloomily.

"Understand you." He said with a shrug. Raphael looked at him in shock.

His brother turned slightly to look at him."Thing is Raph, you are stubborn, selfish, loud, reckless, and those are your good qualities." He said only partially joking. "But you can be intimidating, aggressive and scary as hell. I'm your my brother and I get scared of you when you go into one of your rages. And think back to the way you were when Katherine was around, you were at your worst. You were angry and combative. How many fights did you pick with her because you were tired and in pain?" Raphael opened his mouth but Michelangelo cut him off. "Too many to count. She's small, Raph, by human standards we're short, but she's even shorter than us, and we are built. We weigh almost double what she weighs, and you are the biggest and bulkiest of all of us, she should have been scared of you when you were in your rages, but she wasn't. She stood up to you when you were angry, she even managed to talk you right out of most of your rages."

Michelangelo shook his head. "I hate to say this Raph, but I've seen what you are capable of. I've seen you try to take a pipe to my head, I've seen you shatter Leo's swords, you hauled a half dead woman into the lair after storming out in an uncontrollable fury. The point is, that when you fly into a rage you are completely and absolutely out of control." Michelangelo said to him. Raphael cringed at every word, the problem was, that what Michelangelo was saying was absolute truth.

"Remember the incident with the bike?" Michelangelo asked him.

He cringed inwardly.

It was just over a week that Katherine had been with them and he had been angry, so very angry. He was frustrated about his slow recovery, he was angry with himself for almost killing an innocent woman, he was angry because Leonardo hadn't chewed a strip off him, and he was angry he had to retreat from the damn Red Dragons in the first place.

"You had worked yourself into such a rage that you took a baseball bat to your bike. You love your bike and you completely trashed it. We tried to stop you, but you were so far gone that you couldn't even hear us anymore. Then Katherine walks in to see what all the noise is, she can barely stand on her own yet there she is walking right between you and your bike. My heart nearly stopped beating in my chest when I saw you raise that bat against her Raph." Michelangelo said softly to him.

Raphael closed his eyes in shame. He remembered that moment well. It was emblazoned in his memory.

_She stood there, he couldn't even see her, all he could see was red, but her voice broke through to him. "You're holding your bat wrong." She pointed out to him._

_He had been so shocked at the comment that it managed to break through his rage. "What!" He had roared at her._

_"The way you are holding the bat is creating more work for you to achieve maximum force when hitting something. You need to move your hands lower on the handle so that gravity helps you." She said to him gently taking a hold of his hands which had been tightly clenched on the handle of the bat. _

_He looked at her in shock. "Oh and by the way Ice Cold is totally getting his ass kicked by The Freemason." She told him referring to his favourite wrestler and his arch nemesis._

_"He is not." He growled at her, his hands loosening their grip on the bat. She gently took the bat from his hands. She leaned it against a chair, and twined her fingers through his leading him away from the destruction he had caused._

"Am I such a monster Mikey?" Raphael asked, fear and hurt radiating off every line of his tense body. Michelangelo was silent. Raphael felt himself pale at the truth of Michelangelo's silence. He closed his eyes. "So you're saying I don't deserve her?" He questioned.

Michelangelo's shoulders slumped letting out a breath as if what he was about to say hurt him to speak. "My point is, that we, your own brothers, didn't believe in you." He said softly.

Raphael looked at him in confusion. "We believed you had hit Kitten when we walked into Donny's workroom. I've seen you raise your fist to her when she would gently touch your shoulder, when you were beyond reason, and all she would do is take your white knuckled fist and lead you away, talking excitedly about something, and you would let her, and your rage would evaporate as if it had never been there. She, a stranger, believes you would never hurt her, and the night we believed you had, she stood up for you. _She_ is the reason Leo agreed that he didn't think you could hurt her, because she believes with absolute certainty that you never would"

"You've changed for her Raph. After the incident with the bike your temper is just as bad, but it is like you have more control over it. Even now when I tried to distract you by asking why you were sweating you hung onto your anger, but with the mention of Kitten your anger completely died. She never yelled at you about your temper, never tried to change you, but for her, you _have _changed. And it's not just your temper that you've changed. You listen to what she has to say, even if it doesn't interest you. You care about her and her feelings, even taking her out of the lair so she could get some fresh air. You love her Raph, and she knows you and understands you, probably better than you know and understand yourself, better than we know and understand you, and that is a very...humbling thing to see." Michelangelo finished quietly.

Raphael looked at him in surprise. "She cares for you Raph, she cares for all of us." He said softly as he walked out of the room. Raphael watched his brother quietly close the door behind him. It had taken a lot for Michelangelo to say what he had said to him. He frowned. _When had Michelangelo grown up?_ He asked himself.

Raphael looked at Donatello. He moved to the spot Michelangelo had vacated. "So you are in love with her too, huh Donny?" He asked his sleeping brother. "Well don't think that just because you're all injured and almost kicked the bucket, that I'm going to let you have her, if she'll even have me." He said, acknowledging the very slim chance he had with her.

He closed his eyes and wondered if the moment with the bike was the moment when he fell in love with her. He shook his head. It wasn't. But he remembered how she had looked at him as she held the bat in her hands. He saw neither anger, nor fear, only knowledge. The absolute knowledge that she had been a hairs breath away from being injured, he knew it, she knew it, and at that moment he had felt as if she had understood all of his anger, all of his fears and every secret hidden within his soul. She had ripped his soul open and examined every single hidden part of it, every shameful secret, every terrible fear, and then gently put them all gently back.

Michelangelo was right. She knew him down to the very deepest darkest depths of his soul, and he couldn't lose that. He wondered when he had fallen in love with her. _If not that moment then when?_ He searched his memory. _When was the moment that he felt as if his whole world had narrowed to existing only for her?_ He questioned himself. His world tipped when he realized it was the moment she had first looked at him with shock filled eyes as his sai buried itself in her soft flesh. It had been that moment that his whole world existed only for her. He felt as if he couldn't get enough air. He closed his eyes shaking his head slightly to rid himself of the shock as he threw the feeling and thought aside in disbelief.

He opened his eyes.

He didn't deserve her. He looked back at his sleeping brother. She deserved someone like Donatello. Someone she would never have to fear, someone she could talk endlessly about everything that she enjoyed and have what she was talking about appreciated.

He wasn't smart like Donatello. He couldn't talk to her for hours about dinosaurs or all of that anthropology stuff. He wasn't funny like Michelangelo. He made her laugh and they shared an interest in comic books and cartoons. Even Leonardo had shared her interest in books.

His shoulders slumped. _What the hell chance did he have with her?_ He was short tempered, angry, and had growled at her most of the time she had been with them.

She was as Michelangelo said, smart, funny, beautiful, sweet, and a blast to be around. He called her image to mind, replayed all of the time he spent with her. He remembered as she looked at him intently as he explained something to her. She wasn't faking interest, she was genuinely interested in what he had to say. He liked the way she would use her hands to excitedly talk to him about something. He frowned in thought. But he did talk with her. He listened to what she had to say and she made everything she talked about interesting.

He liked the way her face would light up when she saw him. He liked that she never treated him as anything different. She never shied away at his touch, never pulled away in disgust or horror. And he liked to touch her. Her skin was like the softest pale velvet, her hair was like golden silk, and her scent drove him insane. He felt as if he could bury himself in her scent forever and be content.

He sighed. Michelangelo was right, he really loved her, and the thought that she might choose one of his brothers, if she decided to choose any of them, made his heart ache.

* * *

Things are starting to get interesting I think! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I know it was long but I couldn't really cut it down. Reveiws are always welcome and appreciated!=)


	11. Chapter 11

I am having one of those author moments when I feel like people are going to start yelling at me eventually...or at least yelling at thier computers...hmmm. Anyway enjoy this next chaper! =)

p.s Thank you forgottenforever13 for your review! Anyone who has reveiwed thank you because it really leans a lot to me! =)

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Chapter 11

**Leonardo** looked dully at the book in his hands. He had been staring at the title for what felt like hours, and it probably had been. He had left Donatello's room and found a library. He had sought refuge here because his mind was caught within a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions and he couldn't seem to stop his head from spinning. Raphael had confronted him about his decision to leave, even Michelangelo had tried to change his mind, but he had been adamant. If it were possible they would leave tomorrow because he couldn't be here.

He was still furious with her. His anger boiled and raged, but under that anger was fear. She had known Donatello was injured, she even knew the type of injury he had sustained. He looked at the card in his hand. It had been beneath the book on the nightstand.

He closed his eyes. Master Splinter had been very spiritual, and very intuitive. Master Splinter would feel a sense of wrongness, a deep foreboding when they were in danger, but he wouldn't know what the danger was, who was injured, or what type of injury was suffered. Only someone with a very deep connection to them would have known, could have known. It frightened him to think that she had perhaps formed a strong spiritual connection with them, and it hurt his heart to think she may have formed it specifically with Donatello.

He opened his eyes and looked at the card. He didn't know what it meant, but he was determined to find out.

Michelangelo burst into the Library. "Donny's awake!" He said relief thick in his voice.

Leonardo leapt from his seat. They ran from the room and took the stairs two at a time. He rushed into his brother's room. Raphael was holding Donatello's hand tightly and talking softly to him. The room was dark, only illuminated by the nightstand's single lamp.

Raphael stood making way for Leonardo to sit by Donatello. "How do you feel Donny?" He asked through a throat that was too tight. Guilt and regret washed through him.

Donatello struggled to sit up and Leonardo helped him. He settled him so he was leaning against the headboard, a pillow supporting his body.

"Better." Donatello said looking at his arm. "I'm sore, and feel really weak, but I feel surprisingly good." He said with surprise.

"Well you can thank Kitten for that. You should have seen her Donny, she patched you up real good." Michelangelo said with a smile.

Donatello nodded. "Where is Kitten?" He asked in a quiet voice. Donatello seemed anxious.

They looked at each other. "She stayed with you all night and most of the day Donny, she was exhausted so she is resting." Leonardo managed to say.

Donatello's eyes narrowed. "What aren't you telling me Leo? I know that look. You all looked at each other like you don't want me to know something."

Leonardo closed his eyes. He knew they hadn't been subtle. "She collapsed around noon today." He said softly.

"She collapsed." Donatello said in a hollow voice. His face paled.

"She's fine Donny. We just put her to bed. And she's been sleeping ever since." Leonardo assured him.

"When was the last time you checked on her?" Donatello asked. They looked at each other. "You have checked on her, haven't you?" Donatello questioned angrily.

"She was exhausted Donny, you know what a light sleeper Kitten is, we didn't want to risk waking her up." Raphael said defensively.

"So she collapsed, from absolute and utter exhaustion," Donatello looked at the clock, "Eight hours ago, and no one has checked on her to make sure she's all right?" Donatello growled.

Leonardo looked at his brother worriedly. He was beginning to work himself up.

"I'll go check on her Donny. We were just worried about you, that's all bro, we almost lost you last night." Raphael said quietly as he turned to go to the door.

"Donny." Leonardo began as his brother looked at him. But what could he say. He was relieved and thankful Donatello was okay. "I'm so sorry, this was all my fault. We almost lost you because I was pushing too hard, because I didn't warn you that they had pulled their guns." He said softly his voice full of pain and regret.

Donatello squeezed his hand. 'Leo, it isn't your fault. I know that no matter how many times I tell you this you will never believe me, and you won't stop blaming yourself, but..." He began as Raphael came back into the room.

"Shower's on in the bathroom." Raphael said to his brothers.

* * *

**Katherine** looked blindly as the water washed down the drain. She had washed her hair and her body without paying much attention to what she was doing. She felt empty, hollow and utterly exhausted. She felt absolutely and completely drained of physical strength and overfull of emotion. She felt herself hit the side of the shower wall and slide down. She pulled herself into a small ball and let go.

Her body shook uncontrollably as it was wracked with the force of her sobs. Fear, horror, shock and realization rolled through her, bursting free of the restraints she had put around the box that had held her emotions while she had completed her task of the evening as well as throughout most of the day.

She had been terrified that she was going to lose Donatello, even after she had managed to stabilize him she had felt him pulling away, felt him drifting father from her arms and into those of Death. She didn't know how she had known. There was no way to describe how she had known Donatello had been injured; no way to explain her knowing he had been shot; no way of explaining that she had known he was slipping through her fingers, she had just _known_.

She was so confused and she didn't know what to do. Her own emotions and thoughts were a jumbled mass that didn't make any sense. She didn't know how long she sat in a ball in the corner of the shower as she released all of her emotions in a torrent of pain, but she finally managed to stand. She pulled herself together, blindly got dressed and went to check on Donatello's progress.

* * *

**Donatello** turned towards the sound of the door opening. Relief flooded through him. He had been desperately concerned when Leonardo had told him that no one had checked on her throughout the day.

He looked at Leonardo who seemed pale, apprehensive and oddly angry.

Katherine walked into the darkened room, she was in shadow as she stopped just inside the door. "You're awake!" She said in surprise and with relief. Her voice was low and husky as if somehow her voice had been damaged.

Leonardo stood up quickly. "How did you know?" He growled at her. "How did you know Donny was hurt, and how did you know he had been shot!" He roared at her.

"Leo!" Donatello said in shock at the sudden attack against Katherine. He looked at his brother's face and saw a mixture of anger, fear, desperation and underneath it all, an all consuming need.

"I don't know Leonardo." She said softly. "I wish I did, but I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. You _knew_, and the fact that Donny had been shot didn't even bother you. I was sick to death with worry and you calmly patched him up like it didn't bother you at all!" he accused her.

"Didn't bother me at all!" She asked in surprise as she stepped closer.

"And what the hell is this?" Leonardo picked up a book and card throwing them onto the floor.

Katherine stepped into the light and Donatello let out a gasp of horror.

"Don't you dare tell me how I felt Leonardo." She said evenly to him. "I was terrified, horror-stricken and completely overwhelmed. I'm not a doctor, and Donatello was minutes away, literally, minutes away from death, so don't you dare tell me I wasn't worried. Don't you dare tell me I didn't care." She growled at him. "I had to be calm so I could save Donatello's life, otherwise I would have happily had a complete and total breakdown." She dashed angry tears out of her eyes. "I don't know what's happening." She said shaking her head. "I had finally fallen asleep and I woke up with this feeling of utter and all consuming dread, as if something in my life had just gone utterly wrong. Like I was about to lose something so incredibly important that I couldn't even breathe. I could feel your horror, your pain, your guilt and your anger, but Donatello's voice was missing. I got up and ran, my legs carried me. I wasn't thinking, I didn't know what I was doing, but I pulled that book from the shelf." She said pointing to the book laying on the ground. "I knew you were coming. I knew Donatello was still alive, so I had time to prepare. That is why I was so calm. I was able to get myself under control before you arrived because I _knew_ you were coming." She shook her head, her wet hair pulled back from her face. "I don't know how I knew, nothing like this has ever happened to me before." She whispered.

"Kitten, your hair." Michelangelo said in a shocked voice.

She looked at him in confusion. "I haven't had a chance to brush it, so what, who cares about my hair!" She said in a bewildered voice.

Raphael walked up to her and pulled a strand of hair forward putting it right in front of her face. "Kitten." He said very softly and gently. "You didn't notice this." He said letting her take the lock of hair from him. She looked at Raphael's face in shock. Her hair had gone white, completely and totally white.

Raphael clutched her to him as she wavered a little on her feet.

"Donny what could cause that?" Leonardo asked in a horror filled voice.

"Severe emotional or physical shock." Donatello said bleakly. "But that isn't why her hair is white." He whispered grimly. Leonardo looked at him in shock. "It's because of me." He said with absolute and utter conviction. "It wasn't a dream was it?" He asked her.

Katherine looked at him steadily, her head resting gently on Raphael's shoulder.

Michelangelo looked from him to her in confusion. "What's going on?" He asked confusion and fear radiating in his voice.

"I was almost dead." Donatello whispered.

"We know bro, that's what Kitten just..." Michelangelo began.

"What did you do Kaethryn?" Donatello asked, as a strange name left his lips.

She looked at him in shock, her face going chalk white as her eyes closed and she collapsed. Raphael managed to hold her upright and swung her into his arms. "What the hell?" Raphael shouted in disbelief.

"Donny?" Leonardo asked in worry. "What's going on, and why did you call her Kaethryn?"

Donatello frowned in confusion. "I don't know, I don't even know where the name came from." He shook his head. He pointed to Katherine. "She's not okay." He said grimly.

Raphael looked down at Katherine, worry and panic crossing his face. "What's wrong with her Donny." He whispered clutching her close.

Michelangelo walked over to Raphael and touched Katherine's forehead. "She's cold, really, really cold."

Raphael strode over to the bed and lay her down on the opposite side from where Donatello lay. He covered her up and held her hand tightly in his.

"She doesn't know what's happening, but we've seen this before with Master Splinter. But I would say she is spiritually stronger than Master Splinter ever was. It's probably why she isn't dead right now." He said bleakly. His brothers paled.

"What do you mean Donny?" Raphael asked.

Donatello shook his head. "I'm better with the physical stuff, Leo's better with all of the spiritual aspects of everything, but I think she's formed an incredibly strong spiritual connection with all of us." He closed his eyes. "I was still dying. After Kitten dug the bullet out, after she stabilized me, I couldn't pull away from Death's grip. There was nothing wrong with my body that a little rest and time wouldn't cure, but my spirit, my soul, it was...disconnected." Donatello said softly. "I thought it had been just a dream, her calling me back, but it wasn't, she knew I was still dying."

"But she said..." Leonardo began. "His body is out of danger." Leonardo closed his eyes with realization. "She used whatever connection she had with you and she pulled you back, but she didn't have any idea what she was doing, so she pulled you back, expending huge amounts of spiritual power to do it. She wouldn't know when she herself was in danger of draining herself to the point of death." Leonardo looked at the unconscious woman.

But Donatello was already shaking his head. "She knew." He said bleakly. "Everything is a little fuzzy, but I do remember that she did keep pulling, even though it was killing her, she kept trying to pull me back." He said softly.

Michelangelo looked at him. "She protects those she loves." He said softly. Michelangelo brushed a finger down a pale cold cheek.

"Michelangelo..." Leonardo began.

Michelangelo glared at him. "No Leo, get your head out of your ass for once."

Leonardo looked at him in shock. Donatello felt his mouth drop open in surprise."You heard her yourself Leo, she felt as if something in her life had just gone wrong, like she was about to lose something so incredibly important that she couldn't even breathe."

Leonardo looked at Michelangelo angrily. "She was feeling what we were feeling Mikey. You heard her say that she could feel us, she was feeling what we knew we would feel if Donny died."

Michelangelo shook his head. "Did she risk her life to pull Donny back?" Michelangelo asked in a soft angry voice.

Leonardo closed his eyes. "Yes Mikey she did, but..."

"You heard Donny, she knew she was using too much energy." Michelangelo said. Leonardo frowned at the truth of the words. "She kept pulling anyway, because she felt exactly the same as we did. We would have been devastated if we had lost Donny, and so would she." He said quietly. They were quiet for a moment each contemplating Michelangelo's words.

"Is she going to be okay Leo?" Raphael asked pulling up a piece of Katherine's hair and twining it around his fingers.

"I don't know Raph. If she expended the amount of energy that I think she did, then..." He paused looking to the side. "At the very least, she probably took several decades off her life, at the very worst, she may even have damaged her soul." He managed to choke out.

Donatello looked down at Katherine in horror. "Oh God." He whispered. "My life is not worth that!" he said shaking his head in denial.

"I'm going to take her to bed." Raphael managed to say. He pulled her limp form from under the covers and strode from the room.

Donatello watched Raphael go. Leonardo stood as well and followed Raphael out.

It was silent for a few moments, then Donatello heard a door close, and he and Michelangelo heard the fighting begin.

"Leo, I don't want to see you come anywhere near Kitten, you understand me." Raphael growled.

"Raph..." Leo began.

"She saved Donny's life, twice, and all you could think of was to attack her and yell at her!" Raphael roared. "I'm looking after her! I see you come anywhere near that room and I am going to kick your ass, got it!"

Leonardo was silent but Raphael angrily strode back into the room, grabbed the extra chair, and strode back out from the room.

"Looks like Raphael is playing guard outside Kitten's room for the night, and Leo's going to probably go sulk somewhere." Michelangelo said as he walked over to where Leonardo had thrown the book and card.

"Do you recognize this Donny?" Michelangelo asked showing the card to Donatello.

Donatello looked at the card trying to remember where he had seen a card like that. Guilt ran through him. He turned his head away. Nausea was crawling through his stomach. "Donny it isn't your fault." Michelangelo said as he put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Just like it wasn't Leo's fault that you got shot. She did what she had to do to bring you back. It's the way she is."

"How can I even look her in the eye knowing what I did to her?" He asked Michelangelo in a bleak colourless voice. "If only I had been stronger, if only I..."

"If only the Red Dragons didn't exist; if only we had been born human; if only we were still little turtles happily living our lives away in a little turtle tank. There are a million 'if only's in the world Donny, this is the one we've got. She would never blame you Donny, you know that and I know that." Michelangelo squeezed his shoulder. "I think it's time for you to get some rest." Michelangelo said to him.

Donatello nodded blindly. "The Hanged Man, is a Tarot card." Donatello said finally.

"A whozit now?" Michelangelo asked.

"They are used to play card games with, but are also used to tell fortunes." He said, brow furrowed.

"Seems a little strange for Kitten to have something like this laying around." Michelangelo said.

"It's part of a deck. It might have been something her Uncle was into. I know Kitten didn't have a deck, and I think it would be hard to find one in the middle of nowhere. It's not like you can pick a deck up at any corner store."

Michelangelo nodded and put the card beside him. "You need anything?" Michelangelo asked him, changing the saline bag.

He shook his head, guilt still weighing heavily in his heart, but exhaustion was beginning to pull at him. He closed his eyes and was asleep even before Michelangelo left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

Firstly I'd like to thank Liz and Drusilla52 for their wonderful reveiws! They totally keep me going!=) Also for anyone wanting a happy chapter next...I apologize in advance...Also this chapter contains some violence. Please enjoy!

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Chapter 12

**Raphael** nodded to Michelangelo who walked quietly past him to get a little sleep in one of the guest rooms before it was his turn to watch over Donatello. Leonardo was looking after Donatello at the moment, who, acorrding to Michelangelo, was sleeping soundly.

Raphael was furious and frightened. He was pissed off at Leonardo and scared to death for Katherine. It worried him that she had collapsed for the second time within the same day.

He must have dozed off sitting in the chair outside Katherine's door, because a noise woke him up. He looked down the darkened hallway and didn't hear anything. He stood up and walked to Donatello's room. He opened the door. Leonardo was sleeping in his chair half of his body leaning on Donatello's bed. He frowned, closing the door gently behind him. Then he heard it again a noise that was almost a scream but more a whimper, and it was coming from Katherine's room. He felt a cold finger of dread slide down his back. He opened the door to her room. Katherine lay pale and unmoving on the bed. He gently closed the door behind him as he walked to the bed.

"I don't want to see." She whimpered in her sleep.

He sat at the edge of her bed. "Hey Kitten, wake up, you're having a nightmare." He said as he touched her. He felt his body fall over Katherine's.

_Raphael looked around him in shock. He was in some sort of tent. There was blood and dirt and wounded laying on the ground. A young girl stood up wiping the back of a bloody fist across her dirty sweating brow. She looked to be about 13 or 14 with reddish brown hair and clear, pale complexion._

_"What the...?" Raphael questioned as he looked more closely at the girl. Moss green eyes looked up at a girl who was kneeling at her side._

_"Your father has need of you my Lady." The girl said to her. Raphael felt himself pale. He looked at the young girl and knew he was looking at Katherine. She looked exactly what he would have imagined Katherine to look like when she was younger. But here she wore strange clothes and she was talking in a language he had never heard before, but seemed to understand anyway. He watched as she stood shaking out dirty, blood covered skirts. "Aye Ada, I'm coming, these wounded will'nae tend themselves tho."_

_"They say your father, Óengushas managed to forge a peace treaty with the Alt Clut." She said excitedly._

_"Yes, but what is the price?" Katherine asked her. The young girl shook her head._

_The scene changed pulling Raphael along with it. "It does not feel right father!" Katherine yelled at a strong looking man with long dark hair and beard in his early to mid 50's._

_"Kaethryn, I will not have you talking like this. You will be wed to Teudebur of the Alt Clut, nine days hence. He is to sup with us this night and we will ride tomorrow. You shall be married from his home." Her father said to her._

_"Father, it feels all wrong." She pleaded with him._

_"I shall have none of your starts Kaethryn, I will not have Teudebur believin' my daughter to be fey, or worse a witch"_

_The scene switched again to a dining hall. The long wooden table filled with men. Kaethryn's father sat on the end with her to his right and who he supposed was Teudebur, sat on his left._

_Kaethryn's father stood raising a glass. "May this union between our two Kingdoms be as fruitful as the marriage between this man and this woman." He toasted cheerfully._

_'You've got to be kidding me!" Raphael shouted at the King. "Kaethryn's like 14 at the most, she's still just a kid! And this guy." He pointed at Teudebur. "Is like 50! He's older than you are!" He roared at the King._

_Kaethryn sat pale and silent._

_The scene shifted. He was now standing outside a room, Teudebur was looming over Kaethryn who was looking back defiantly at him._

_"Your father says you are yet pure." He said as he leered down at her. Kaethryn glared back at him. "I should check just to make sure."_

_Raphael felt the bile rise up in his throat. He wondered if he would be able to puke in a dream because if he could, he was about to. He lunged at Teudebur as the older man roughly pushed Kaethryn against the wall, but he passed straight through him. _

_She glared at him defiantly. "I am not yours yet." _

_"You shall make a good wife for me I think. I like them feisty. It shall give me great pleasure to break more than just your spirit." He said with a laugh as he walked away._

_"You are a dead man." Raphael yelled at the retreating back of Teudebur. He took two steps but found himself being dragged along after Kaethryn who was mounted upon a horse. Her face was chalk white and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. Her father rode ahead with Teudebur. There were wagons filled with supplies as well as soldiers to guard the King and princess. There were other women as well, probably her maids or something, including the girl who had fetched her from the tent._

_He watched as night fell. They were passing through a forest, a half moon hung overhead, and yet they pressed on._

_An arrow struck the chest of a soldier and then more arrows rained down from the sky._

_"We have been betrayed!" Kaethryn's father yelled as he pulled a sword from his hip. Men rushed out from the forest hacking and slicing at all who were in their path._

_Raphael searched, trying to find Kaethryn in the chaos. Her horse was struck in the chest with an arrow. The horse reared in surprise and pain as it bolted. Kaethryn clutched the reins of her horse tightly as it bolted away from the chaos and fighting._

_Raphael was pulled along. No one seemed to be in pursuit of her. The horse finally collapsed throwing Kaethryn from its back. She tumbled and lay still._

_"Katherine!" He yelled at her. She slowly got up. Raphael could hear then, the thunder of approaching hooves. She turned and ran. Raphael could hear more and more horses behind them as they ran._

_She was panting hard, trying to run through the night aided only by the moonlight. Several times she fell and each time she pulled herself up. The trees finally gave way. Raphael could hear the crashing of waves upon rock. She looked at the rocky cliff in front of her. She turned around to run back the way she had come, but a horse and rider peeled itself from the very shadows._

_"Katherine look out!" Raphael screamed as the rider reached down and grabbed her by the throat._

_"You gave me a merry chase, I was almost too late, but I found you. We can't have your bright light sullied now can we?" He asked as he plunged a sword through her stomach._

_"No!" Raphael screamed as Kaethryn looked at the man in shock. The man pulled his blade from her belly walked his horse to the cliff and threw her over the edge._

_Raphael rushed to the edge of the cliff and watched in horror as her body struck the cliff face several times before she was finally swallowed up by blackness of the rolling sea._

_"You monster!" Raphael yelled as he faced the man on horseback, only he wasn't a man. A cruel, red skinned face with jutting black horns looked down the cliff face. Black membranous wings stretched wide. He patted the neck of his pitch black horse, it's eyes blazed red as smoke gently drifted up from flaring red nostrils._

* * *

**Donatello's** eyes snapped open. He panted as he looked around his room. Leonardo was half laying on his bed, slumped over in sleep. He felt like he couldn't breathe and his heart hurt.

Leonardo's head rose up off the bed and he looked at him. "Donny are you okay?" He asked in concern.

Donatello shook his head. There was something wrong but he didn't know what it was. His flesh began to crawl with goosebumps. There was something clawing at the back of his mind, trying to tell him something, trying to get him to do something, but he didn't know what. He felt as if he were close to panic. He finally managed to take one breath and then another.

"Donny?" Leonardo asked again.

* * *

**Raphael** gasped as he sat up. He managed to stumble to the bathroom before his stomach rebelled. When he had finished puking up everything that was left in his stomach plus some, he ran the tap and splashed cold water on his face.

He stumbled back into the room. Katherine lay unmoving on the bed. She was drenched with sweat, and pale.

"Jeez Donny, what did you do to her?" He asked in horror. Katherine had complained of nightmares, but that was no nightmare. It was too real, too vivid, too detailed. He could still smell the scent of the ocean, the smell of sweat and blood and horses.

Raphael frowned. He could actually smell it. He leaned closer to Katherine. She wasn't drenched in sweat. "Shit." He said. She was covered in sea water. "What the hell are you doing to yourself?"He asked her in panic.

His first instinct was to go and get Leonardo. He was way better at the whole spiritual dream crap than he was, but he was still pissed off at him, and he felt reluctant to tell his brother what had happened. Katherine had managed to pull him into her dream with her, and it had been a horrifying experience, one he was reluctant to share with his brother. Hell, he wanted to scrub his brain clean of the images that were now lodged there, but he knew he couldn't. He knew he had glimpsed something that was as painful as it had been private.

He was reluctant to touch her again in case she dragged him into another living nightmare, but he knew he had to wake her. She was drenched in sea water, and the smell of horses, blood and the sea had soaked into the bed sheets.

He closed his eyes and shook her. He opened an eye.

Relief flooded through him. He was still in the bedroom. He grabbed her by both shoulders and shook her hard. "Katherine wake up." He hissed. But she didn't wake. He frowned. He reached out and touched her cool cheek.

"Think Raphael, think, think, think." He urged himself. He had paid attention to what Master Splinter had said, he had just never had an interest or aptitude for it. Then it hit him. He had been kicked out of the dream, but what if she were still in it? "You aren't Kaethryn, understand me. You aren't her!" He hissed in her ear. "So you had better wake the hell up right now!"

She lay unmoving, as still as death. It was then that he noticed that her lips had turned blue. He leaned in to listen to her heart. The beating of her heart was too slow, and she wasn't breathing. "Shit,shitshitshitshit." He said in panic. "Katherine, don't you dare leave me, you understand!" He roared at her. He tipped her head back and blew a puff of air into her mouth. He put his hands on her chest and pumped. "Come on Katherine, stay with me!" He growled at her.

He repeated the process until she began choking up seawater. She sat up and took a breath, coughing the rest of the water out of her lungs.

She looked at him blankly as if for a minute she wasn't sure who he was.

"Raphael?" She questioned.

He looked down at her in relief. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" He growled as he clutched her close to him.

He looked at her, he didn't know what to do with her. Her body was ice cold. He looked at the bathroom. "Come on." He said as he pulled her from the bed. She tried to stand but she nearly fell. He swung her up into his arms. He looked at her face. Her eyes had closed again. "Come on Katherine, stay with me." He pleaded. He bumped the door closed. He put her down against the wall and quickly turned on the shower. Steam quickly began filling the lavish bathroom. The shower was oversized for which he was grateful.

He looked down at her. He had to get her in the shower, wash the damn brine and sea and horse out of her hair and off her body, find something for her to wear and move bedrooms because the sheets had to be stripped off that bed.

He closed his eyes. He didn't know how the hell he was going to do it. He knelt down in front of her, willing her to wake up and do everything that needed to be done herself because he didn't think he had the strength of will required to strip her naked and not touch her, especially not after he had almost lost her.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

She held out a hand and he helped her to her feet. She wavered as she clutched him. She stood back and began to undress. He turned away. He sat on the edge of the tub, closed his eyes and waited until she was done. He pulled his shirt over his head and held it out for her. He felt her take it from his grasp. She gently touched him on the shoulder. He looked at her. She was pale, exhausted and his shirt barely covered everything. She did not speak and neither did he. They didn't need to. They had been through something that was so horrible and terrifying, that it was beyond words.

* * *

**Donatello** looked at his big brother who was looking at him with worried eyes.

"Donny, I'm getting Kitten." Leonardo said with concern.

Donatello shook his head and grabbed his brother's wrist. "I'm okay." He said softly. He could breathe easily again. The scratching at the back of his brain had stopped and his flesh no longer felt as if it were crawling.

"I just..." He shook his head. "Bad dream maybe." He said as his brother helped him to lay back down.

Michelangelo popped his head into the room. "Hey Leo, is Donny okay?" He asked in concern.

"I'm fine Mikey." He said to his baby brother as he closed his eyes.

"I'm going to stay with him Mikey, get some more rest." Leonardo said softly.

Donatello didn't even hear his brother leave the room.

* * *

**Raphael** took her up in his arms and strode through the bathroom and into the bedroom. He opened the door looking down the hallway. He strode into the room next door to the one she had been in. Luckily for them there were so many extra bedrooms.

He looked down at Katherine who was already sleeping. He placed her gently in the bed. He stroked her face. "No wonder you hate nightmares so much. Yours are way too real." He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. He walked from the room closing the door gently behind him. He went back into Katherine's old room, grabbed her clothes from the floor and stripped the bed of all the sheets. Luckily for him he had already done laundry that day so he knew where everything was.

He opened the door and ran into Michelangelo.

Michelangelo looked at him in confusion. He put his fingers to his lips. Michelangelo nodded as he shoved some of the sheets into his surprised brother's arms. Raphael went back into the room to grab the rest of the bedding.

They walked down the hall in silence, threw the first load of laundry in and went to the library.

Raphael closed the doors behind him. Raphael scanned the room and found what he was looking for. He grabbed the liquor decanter and poured himself a glass of something brown, scotch, whiskey, he wasn't sure, didn't care, he downed it in a single gulp. It burned all the way down, but he knew it would do nothing to dispel the images or the experience from his head. He closed his eyes. She had died. He could feel his lungs constrict with horror.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Michelangelo asked him with worried eyes as Raphael reached for the decanter again. He poured and downed the second glass before answering his brother.

"No." He said shaking his head. 'Maybe later, maybe never. Kitten's asleep, I had to move her."

"But..." Raphael cut Michelangelo off.

"I don't want to talk about it okay Mikey. Let's just say I'm getting tired of all this spiritual, supernatural shit okay."

Michelangelo looked like he was going to protest but gave a curt nod instead. "You okay Raph?" He asked.

He walked over to a chair that was sitting in front of the fireplace. He sat down heavily. "Right now...no. Later...maybe."

* * *

Phew, that was rough. I enjoyed how this chapter turned out though.=) Please tell me what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

Just wanted to say thank you, thank you Liz for the reveiw, it really means a lot. This is sort of a short chapter. It was one of those things where there was not an easy split between this chapter and the next which is longer. *Sigh*

Also just an author's note, my stories are soooo long! I apologize in advance, but hopefully everyone will stick with reading this and there will be a few twists and turns along the way. Enjoy!

Also will be posting the next chapter within the next couple of days.=)

* * *

Chapter 13

**Leonardo** walked out of Donatello's room. Donatello had still been asleep when he had woken up so he was trying to be as quiet as he could be. He looked down the hall. He saw a chair sitting outside Katherine's room. He frowned. "That's a little extreme." He said to himself. He knew Raphael had been angry with him, knew that he was still angry with himself. If he were honest he felt more ashamed than anything. He walked to her door. Either Raphael was in there with her right now, or Raphael had abandoned his post which meant she was alone, and still sleeping. If she was still sleeping then she needed her rest. He walked past her door and walked down the hall to the stairs. He was going to get some breakfast, then go back and talk to Donatello to find out how long they would have to stay here until he was able to be moved back home.

Michelangelo was sitting at the table eating cereal. "Morning Mikey, anyone else up?" He asked.

Michelangelo shrugged. "I think Raph is in the training room and I think Kitten is still sleeping."

Leonardo nodded. "Go get Raph, tell him to meet me in Donny's room."

Michelangelo finished his cereal, stood and went to go get Raphael.

Leonardo ate some toast and walked back to Donatello's room bringing some toast with him. He hoped Donatello was in the mood to eat. If he was then it was a good sign that he was recovering.

When he entered Donatello's room Raphael and Michelangelo were already there. Michelangelo was sitting in the chair by Donatello's bed, while Raphael was leaning against the antique dark wood dresser, arms crossed, looking pale and tired.

"What's goin on Leo?" Raphael asked him.

Leonardo clenched his teeth together. He was going to have a hard time convincing his brothers that leaving Katherine's as soon as possible was the best thing for all of them. After all, nothing had changed, in fact things had gotten worse.

"Humph, still want to go Fearless?" Raphael asked him the anger beginning to burn in Raphael's eyes.

"Of course I want to go. We can't stay here." He insisted.

"Yeah, why's that? Kitten doesn't seem to be in any rush to kick us out." Raphael said in a low angry voice.

"That isn't the point Raph. The point is that Kitten is leaving soon. It is a little over three weeks until Christmas and she will be going home to see her family. After Christmas she is going to England remember?" He growled "Besides we were supposed to be out of her life so she wouldn't be put in any danger from our enemies, so she wouldn't get hurt, and look what we've done to her!" Leonardo yelled at Raphael. "You nearly killed her, and because of what she did to Donny, she's probably lost decades off of her life at the very least! Her hair is now completely white! We did that to her! The sooner we are out of her life, the sooner she will be able to move on with it! She's better off without us!" He managed to finish.

"Well I am so glad you have my entire life worked out for me Leonardo. After all I had no idea what I wanted out of it. I am glad you are here to make all of my decisions and tell me how I should live my life." Katherine's husky voice was harsh and full of mockery.

Leonardo closed his eyes and slowly turned around. He opened his eyes ready to talk some sense into Katherine. She strode up to him angrily. He blinked in shock. She hadn't sounded mad, but Katherine was furious. Actually she was in a towering rage. He had never seen Katherine so angry. She was always calm, always exuded total and complete control of her emotions. He watched the anger roll around in her eyes. He took a step back. He had faced down Raphael's anger numerous times and it had never bothered him. But Katherine's anger was far different than Raphael's. Whereas Raphael's anger burned brightly and hotly, Katherine's anger was as cold and merciless as a winter wasteland.

He swallowed. "Katherine..." He began.

"Don't you dare 'Katherine' me Leonardo." She said harshly, narrowing her eyes. "Don't pretend to protect me when the only one you are protecting is yourself." She said ruthlessly. Leonardo blinked at her in shock, he felt himself pale slightly. His eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "You don't get to decided my future or my fate, I do. I chose to save Donatello, whatever the cost. It was my choice, not yours and I don't regret it. If I lost a good twenty, thirty, forty years or more off my life, so be it. I will pay that price for Donatello's life, it was worth it. Did Raphael nearly kill me, yes, but so what? So did that car when I was walking across the street on Halloween. So did the bullet that was fired at me when I ran from the Red Dragons. It could have struck me instead of just hitting the arm of my coat. I could have been killed when my SUV hit a patch of black ice and slid into the path of a semi. I could die tomorrow and I am not going to sit around and wonder when my number is going to be up. If I become a target because of who and what you are, then I will take that chance." She said evenly.

He had paled slightly and he felt as if the room was beginning to waver slightly. He had saved her from the car on Halloween, but he hadn't known that the Red Dragons had shot at her, hadn't known about her brush with death on the treacherous back roads around the property.

"And where do you get off telling me what my future plans are?" She said to him in a voice so cold and emotionless he could practically feel the ice forming on each word she spoke. He would have preferred it if she had yelled at him then, at least yelling he understood. When someone was yelling they were beyond being rational, but as she coolly ripped a strip off him with words as sharp as the blade of a knife, he knew he could not argue with her because she was completely rational. "I am not going home for Christmas. I have already told my family this and though they were disappointed they understood my need to stay here. I have also given up my position as part of the archaeological dig team that is going to England in the **spring,** not in January. Who would dig in the middle of January?" She asked him.

"But...Kitten you were so excited to go on that trip, it was going to be a great experience for you and it was going to help you out with your Master's thesis." Donatello said in shock.

Katherine did not look away from Leonardo's eyes. "I called both my family and the University the day after I arrived here." She said impatiently. "There will always be other digs, some things are more important." Her eyes narrowed again. "So Leonardo putting aside all of the bullshit you are trying to feed to your brothers, tell me honestly, if you wish to leave because you dislike me so much? If this is the reason you want to leave so quickly let me assure you, you do not have to suffer my company. You are free to leave at any time. If you do not trust that I can take care of Donatello, then this is a very large house, I am sure we can find a way to avoid each other quite easily, otherwise you are all welcome to stay as long as you wish."

Leonardo swallowed. A lump had formed in his throat. The thought that she believed he hated her made him feel ill. "I ...I don't hate you, I just..." He began his words rough with emotion.

"You can't shoulder the responsibility of everyone's life upon yourself Leonardo. We have free will, it's what makes us human. It means we can make our own choices and then we have to live with the consequences of those choices." She said mercilessly. With that last parting shot she strode angrily from the room.

Leonardo watched as the door closed softly behind her.

"I think that's the scariest thing I've ever seen." Michelangelo said, his voice full of shock. The problem was Leonardo absolutely agreed with him. "I think I would rather face all of the Shredder's elite foot ninjas plus the Shredder himself than ever have Kitten that angry with me." Michelangelo continued.

Raphael and Donatello were nodding and looking at the closed door to the room. All of his brothers looked at him. "We still don't live here." He managed to grumble out.

"Two weeks." Donatello said. "I should be able to leave in about two weeks."

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I ain't hanging around here for the next two weeks with only one pair of underwear and the clothes I'm wearing on my back, and Donny doesn't even have a shirt or a coat. I vote we get back to the lair, grab some of our stuff, and just leave Leo there." Raphael said with a malicious grin.

"Funny." Leonardo said to him.

Raphael narrowed his eyes. "I'm still pissed at you Leo, but it looks like Kitten can take care of herself. I told you Kitten had claws. We'd better get going if we want to make it back at a decent hour today." Raphael said leaving the room, probably to go have a conversation with Katherine.

Leonardo nodded as Katherine walked back into the room followed closely by Raphael. Leonardo stopped and took a few steps back. Katherine's cool gaze travelled over him. She held a laptop under her arm.

"Hey Donatello, Raphael says everyone is heading to the lair to pick up some stuff. I thought you might want to have a little something to do to keep yourself occupied." She said with a smile. She crawled onto the bed and plopped the laptop in Donatello's lap. "I thought that maybe you could help me set this thing up. I mean it works I suppose, but I don't know anything about computers."

Donatello looked at the laptop and gave a half smile. Leonardo felt jealousy rip through him. He stamped it down. It was Donatello. Donatello opened the laptop, a frown crossing his face. He pulled out a card. Katherine paled and then sighed. She took the card from his fingers.

"How many of these do you have laying around." Donatello asked.

"Only the one." She said softly.

"Your Uncle was into Tarot cards?" Donatello asked her.

Katherine shook her head. "I'm not sure. It fell out of the envelope containing all of the legal documents. And it has been following me around ever since."

Donatello frowned.

"You mean you've been carrying it around." Michelangelo said to her.

She shook her head. "No it literally follows me around. The last time I saw this card it was in this room."

"But who...?" Donatello asked.

She shrugged.

Raphael had a strange look on his face. He looked as if he was going to say something then changed his mind and said something else. "What's the card mean Kitten?"

She frowned. "I'm not sure." She said. "I mean I know it's a Tarot card and that it is one of the Major Arcana, or face card, but other than that I don't really get it. I know each card has a specific meaning, but usually when you use the Tarot to tell fortunes and things you need the whole deck, or at least a question you are asking the deck." She said with a shrug.

"So why don't you just find out what the card means?" Donatello asked.

She frowned. "I'm rather torn." She said softly. "On the one hand I have looked but there aren't any books on the Tarot in the library, and I don't have the internet hooked up yet." She said looking at Donatello sheepishly. "On the other hand, I don't know if I really want to know. It isn't like one card is going to tell me my future and even if it means something, some things are better left unknown." She said with a shrug.

Katherine looked up from the card. "You guys had better get going." She said with a smile which Leonardo was not included in.

"Sure Kitten we'll be back soon." Raphael said dragging Michelangelo out. Leonardo took one last look at Katherine sitting on the bed with Donatello and walked out.

* * *

Poor Leo...=(


	14. Chapter 14

Longer chapter to make up for the short last chapter.=) I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14

**Donatello** began furiously typing on the computer. He had managed to set up Katherine's internet as well as install anti-virus software and update her operating system. It was several hours later and he was expecting his brothers back anytime now. Katherine had been in and out of the room several times that day, but as much as he tried to show her how to do everything, he could see that her mind was elsewhere. He could also see that she was still exhausted. Guilt would wash over him every time he would look at her pale face and pure white hair.

Katherine walked into the room and he frowned. She was carrying some of his clothes. "Your brothers are back." She huffed out.

He looked at her irritated face. She looked at him and smiled. "Leonardo and Raphael are fighting, again." She said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm getting Raphael to chop a pile of wood, Michelangelo is making dinner and I am getting Leonardo to organise the library, put it into some sort of order." She said with a smile.

"So basically you are getting them out of your hair." Donatello said to her wryly.

She laughed. "Something like that. Anyway now that you actually have some clean clothes, I was thinking it is time to change the sheets on the bed and get you into a bath or something."

"What?" He asked stupidly.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know if you haven't noticed, but you are getting a little ripe." She said pointing to him. "It probably didn't help that you were shot when you were already sweating up a storm, but..." She shrugged.

Donatello blushed. "You are not giving me a bath." He growled.

She looked at him and laughed. "No, I am going to run a bath for you, help you get into the bathroom where you will proceed to get yourself into the tub and then you will successfully wash one half of your body, then be stuck as to how to wash the other side." She said with an impish smile.

"I can wait until..." He began. He'd wait until his brother's were free, he would wait...He smelled himself. Okay he was not waiting. He glared at her.

"I'll be good and not peek or anything." She said with a smile. She walked into the bathroom and he heard the bath begin running. She walked back into the room. "By the way it is one of those giant claw footed tubs, so be careful getting in. I put everything within reach and even put some nice girly bubble bath in for you." She said with a devilish smile. She looked at his arm and frowned. "Do you feel up to eating and drinking, or do we have to keep your IV in?" She asked him.

Donatello looked down at his arm. He reached up and turned the IV drip off and pulled the IV out. She looked at him and nodded, a dark look passing over her face. He looked at her with concern. "Katherine..." He began.

She shook her head. "Already had this conversation with Leonardo, my choice remember? And unless you want me pissed off at you too then please continue that thought." She said with a quirk of her lips.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"That's better. Let's get you up and into the bathroom." She said helping him out of the bed and into the bathroom. She looked at him and touched his cheek gently. She walked behind him and began untying his mask. She pulled the purple strip of fabric from his eyes. She looked down at it touching the fabric gently.

He looked at her as the need for her warred with the horror of what she had done for him. She walked around in front of him. She reached down to his pants. "Katherine what are you doing?" He asked as he tried stepping away.

She grabbed the top of the band of his jeans and held him still. "You can't open your jeans with only one hand Donatello." She said with a smile. She undid his jeans, her fingers lingering on the band of his jeans.

He swallowed. Even as injured as he was, he wanted her. Desire raced through him and it was all he could do not to ask her to join him in the bath. "I'll be right outside for when you need me." She said stepping away from him. She left, gently closing the door behind him.

He stripped off his pants, and underwear, made use of the toilet, and trying not to use his left arm too much, he slowly climbed into the tub.

He sighed. The water was warm bordering on hot and felt good against his cool skin. He could only submerge himself so much because of his bandages but he was able to make good use of the deep tub. He found the soap and managed, as Katherine predicted, to wash half of himself perfectly fine, but without being able to move his other arm washing the other half of his body was going to be impossible. He sighed. He didn't know what was worse, having the woman he loved help wash him, which sounded like a great idea except he didn't know how she actually felt about him, or having her have to smell him, which was, unfortunately, rather unpleasant.

There was a knock at the door. "Can I come in Donatello?" Katherine asked.

He looked at the plethora of bubbles that surrounded him. "Yes." He said to the door, a blush rising up on his cheeks.

Katherine opened the door and walked in, closing it gently behind her. "Reached an impasse?" She asked.

"Something like that." He grumbled.

She laughed. "Give me the soap. I will assume you got all of your lower half and guess that you are having a problem the around your injured arm."

Donatello's blush deepened. "Yeah."

She just nodded, grabbed the soap and gently lathered it in her hands. She washed around his bandages, and beneath his injured left arm. She then took a cloth and washed the back of his neck and his face. He was embarrassed and yet at the same time it felt good. His eyes drifted closed as the rough scrape of the cloth made its way across his face and head.

"There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Katherine's voice asked him softly. He opened his eyes. Katherine was behind him, face so close to the back of his neck that he could feel her heat radiating from her skin. "There's the smell I know and love." She said with a smile, pulling away. "Well, mostly anyway, its kinda being subverted by the raspberry bubble bath." She said laughing.

Donatello felt himself flush. She was too close, too near him. He needed to distract himself before he did or said something foolish. "Can I ask you something?" Donatello asked her. She shrugged. "What did you mean when you told Leo that we have free will, and that is what made us human." She frowned in confusion. "We aren't human." He whispered.

She moved around and knelt beside the tub folding her arms on the edge. She lay her head on her arm and placed her hand in the water grabbing at some bubbles. She looked at the bubbles in her hand. "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?"

Donatello looked at her in confusion. "Shakespeare?" He asked.

She nodded taking his hand in her bubbly one, gently tracing the lines on his palm. "The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1. You say you are not human, and you are right, you aren't, but that does not exclude you from the human experience." She said looking at him in the eyes. "We are all animals, but we are beyond the mere necessity of survival. We need more out of life than just to eat, sleep, mate and die. We have the ability to think rationally, to love, laugh, and cry. We are able to experience a plethora of emotions and experiences." She paused as she tipped his hand over tracing the lines of his veins on the back of his hand. "No two lives are ever going to be the same. You and your brothers think you live on the outside, which I will admit, to a certain extent, you do. But you have far more in common with humanity that say, a turtle living in a tank. Besides, there are so many people who live on the outside as well, whether through choice or by circumstance, that you are not so far on the outside as you think. Besides, your world keeps expanding as you bring new people into it. You may not actually look human, but you are human, in here." She said with a gentle smile as she let go of his hand and lay her hand lightly on his plastron right over his heart. Then she smiled wryly. "Or maybe we are all just mutant turtles inside." She said with a laugh. "Humans come in all shapes, and colours and sizes. So your skin is green, so you come with a few interesting pieces of anatomy." She said tapping on his plastron. "It still doesn't change who you are on the inside."

Somehow her words left him stunned. He knew any who saw him or his brothers usually viewed them as mutated freaks of nature, as something that was 'other' and therefore bad, but not her. She just saw them as human, perhaps wearing a different skin, but ultimately, she actually saw no difference between herself and him.

He closed his eyes. "No one will ever accept us for who we are." He said softly.

She laughed. "Most people feel that way normally. And what does it matter? As long as those who do know you, love you for who and what you are, who cares about anyone else." She said with a shrug.

He looked into her smiling green eyes. "You are an amazing woman." He said softly.

"I don't see why, but I'll take the compliment anyway." She said eyes crinkling in the corners.

"Katherine." He said to her seriously.

There was a knock on the door. "Donny are you okay?" Leonardo's voice said from the other side of the door.

Katherine opened her mouth but he put his hand up and covered her mouth. She looked at him in confusion.

The last thing Donatello wanted was for Leonardo to find out Katherine was in here with him. He wasn't quite sure why, but he knew that things would not go well. He lifted a finger to his lips and pointed to behind the door. She shrugged and went to stand behind the door.

"I'm fine Leo. I'm having a bath."

"You're doing what!" His older brother shouted at him. The door swung open and Leonardo strode in. 'What do you think you are doing!"

Donatello closed his eyes and sighed. "Kitten told me I stunk and to get my butt into the tub so she could change the sheets on the bed." He said to his brother.

"She said what?" He asked in shock.

"Well she was much more polite about it, but that was the gist of the conversation. She ran me the bath. But I think it's time to get out because I'm all pruney now." He said looking at his right hand, the hand Katherine had so gently been holding a few moments before.

"So she just left you in here?" Leonardo asked in shock, anger beginning to leak into his eyes.

_Great now Leonardo was beginning to get angry with Katherine._ "Well she did offer to help give me a bath." He said under hooded lids.

He watched as another emotion flashed across Leonardo's face. It wasn't quite anger. Donatello frowned. "You guys were all busy helping Kitten, so I gave myself a bath." He said with a shake of his head.

"So where is Kitten right now?" Leonardo asked, the strange emotion flitting across his brother's face.

His eyes flicked to the door. He was a bad liar, and could never lie to any of his brothers.

Leonardo turned around and looked at the door. He looked back at him and looked at the door. He walked towards the door. Donatello sighed. "Would you have a problem if she was in here Leo?" Donatello asked as Leonardo swung the door open revealing nothing but the space behind the door.

Leonardo had a death grip on the door. "No." Leonardo said through clenched teeth.

"I don't know where Kitten is, but you are letting all the cold air in." Donatello said with irritation. "Maybe you could give me a hand." He said as Leonardo attempted to hide the relief that had flooded his face at the discovery that Katherine was not in the bathroom with him. Leonardo closed the door and helped him from the tub.

He managed to get himself dressed, rejecting the offer of help from Leonardo, pulling on a pair of sweats and forgoing his underwear. He just opened the door as Katherine entered the room. Donatello wasn't sure how she had gotten out of the room, but he was glad she had been able to. She gave him a searching look that he interpreted to mean they would talk about this whole thing later.

"You okay Donatello?" She questioned.

Leonardo glared at Katherine. He closed his eyes. _Great now Leonardo angry with Katherine. _

_Thanks a lot Donatello_. Her look said to him.

"His legs aren't broken Leonardo." She said to him. "Besides I just left the room for a moment. I went to grab him some water and something to eat since he hasn't eaten anything in nearly two days and we took out his IV so he could have a bath." She said putting a glass of water on the nigh table and a bowl of oatmeal. "I thought perhaps something with substance, but not too heavy." She said gently to Donatello. She helped him gently into bed, fluffed his pillow, tucked him in, and set up a tray for him to eat. He closely watched his brother as she performed all of these tasks. Leonardo's face was devoid of all emotion, but his white knuckles were clenched angrily at his sides.

After Katherine was satisfied that he was well taken care of she turned and looked coolly at Leonardo. "I think you and I need to have a talk, after dinner." She said icily as she turned and left the room.

Leonardo paled. "Leo, she's like, five nothing and 100 pounds, if that. She's not going to hurt you." Donatello said jokingly as he closely studied his brother's reaction, realization having dawned on him.

"I know." Leonardo said looking at the closed door. "So why does she scare the hell out of me?"

Donatello blindly looked at his bowl of oatmeal. He found his appetite had deserted him, but if he didn't eat, Katherine would stick his IV back in. "Leo, she scares you so much because she had the ability to hurt you in ways our enemies never could." He said softly.

Leonardo didn't turn to look at him, just gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. "You want me to keep you company Donny?" Leonardo asked him.

"I'm good." He replied as he watched Leonardo exit the room.

* * *

**Raphael** was sweating heavily. He looked to the pile of wood he had chopped and the pile of wood that still needed to be chopped. He growled. He was still pissed off at Leonardo for trying to brush off the fact that he was being an ass and owed Katherine an apology. Leonardo didn't think he owed her an apology because he was not in the wrong for trying to protect her.

He swung the axe, the blade arching down and hitting the log, but not splitting it. He frowned. He brought the axe back up and tried to drive it through with the next swing. He tried several more times but the axe was not cutting through the log and it was stuck. He tried to pry the axe from the log.

"It is amazing how many people think they know how to use an axe, but don't." Katherine said shaking her head as she walked up to him. He looked at the pile of wood he had chopped.

"What? Wood is being chopped." He said angrily.

"Yes, but you are making it harder than it has to be." She said as she took the embedded axe from his hands. "You are supposed to aim away from the knots you know." She said pointing at the log.

"It's stuck." He grumbled.

"Move." She said bumping him out of the way with her hip.

He backed up. "You aren't going to be able to get that axe out."

She quirked her lips. "Wanna bet?" She asked him.

He folded his arms over his chest. "You wanna lose?" He asked her.

She smiled. "Tell you what, I will not only get this axe out, but I will also split it, with one swing."

"Fine, you're on. What do I get when I win?" He asked.

"You won't win, but fine, what are the terms?" She asked hip cocked to the side.

His lips quirked as he strode up to her. He tipped her face towards his. "I win, I get a kiss." He said to her.

She smirked. "Fine, and if I win...hmmm let me think..." She said deviously. "I get your mask, and if anyone asks why you lost your mask, it's because you don't know how to use an axe."

"Done." He said positive he wasn't going to lose. Even if she did manage to split the damn thing there was no way she was going to be able to do it in one swing.

She hefted the axe and log up. He smiled. The axe plus the log had to weigh half of what she weighed. She flipped the axe backwards, heaved it over her head and brought the back of the axe head down on the stump he had been chopping wood on. There was a crack as the log split in half.

He looked at the log in shock. There was no way. She grinned at him. "I win. Now let's hear it." She said curling her fingers towards herself in a 'come on' motion.

"I started it off for you." He growled at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is someone a sore loser?" She asked with a mock pout. "You want to see it again?" She asked pulling off her jacket.

She grabbed another log and positioned it on the stump. "Your problem is..." She swung the axe up and brought it down cleanly splitting the log in two. "Is that you don't pay attention to where the knots are, and you choke up on the axe too much." She said grabbing another log and deftly splitting it in half.

He watched as she split 5 more logs and then began splitting the logs she had halved into quarters. There was something about watching her wield the axe that was beginning to turn him on. She wasn't muscular, but she was toned, and he watched as her skin tight shirt hugged every curve of her chest, and rode up exposing her belly.

"Now you try." She said holding the axe out to him. He had been so entranced by watching her that he had completely tuned out what she had been saying.

"What?" He asked stupidly.

She rolled her eyes, picked up a log and pointed to the knots. "You want to bring the axe down alongside the knots, if you can, rather than through them." He took the axe from her hands. "See you are doing it again." She slid his hands down the axe. "Now when you swing, bring the axe up directly over your head, you have a tendency to swing a little to the left. Bring the axe straight down."

He glared at her, glared at the log and brought the axe down on it, splitting it cleanly through. He blinked. That had been much easier.

"Come on, say it." She said to him.

"Fine, I didn't know how to use an axe. Happy now?" He growled at her.

She smiled and grabbed her coat from the ground. "I think that's enough wood Raphael." She said pulling on her jacket. "Oh, I almost forgot." She said as she walked up to him. She stood against him, breasts pressed against his chest as she put her arms around his neck. Raphael swallowed hard. Was she going to kiss him anyway? He wondered as he grabbed her around the waist. He felt the tug as she removed his mask. She pulled herself from his arms and smiled at him. "Can't forget this." She said as she wrapped his mask around her throat and tied it into a bow one tail trailing down between her breasts. He never through he could be jealous of a scrap of fabric, but right now he was jealous of his mask. She turned and grabbed a few logs to take into the house.

Raphael grabbed some logs from the ground. "Too bad you didn't win." She said in a husky voice coupled with a flirtatious smile. "But after all I couldn't lose, you would have been even more insufferable than you already are." With that she turned and walked into the house. Raphael's brain stalled and he forgot he was holding an armful of logs. He raised his arm to call her back but ended up dropping the logs on his foot. He glared at the fallen pile of wood. _Now what the hell was that supposed to mean? _He asked himself._ Did she mean that she had wanted to kiss him, or did that just mean he was now going to suffer for losing?_

He walked inside empty handed and found Michelangelo finishing the final dinner preparations. "Where's Kitten?" He asked. Michelangelo shrugged as Katherine walked into the kitchen. He looked at her and looked at Michelangelo irritated that he couldn't ask her if she had wanted to kiss him or not.

"How was chopping wood Raph?" Michelangelo asked him. His brother looked at him. "Where's your mask?"

"Fine." Raphael replied curtly looking at Katherine trying to figure out which of the two meanings her cryptic words had meant.

Katherine smiled evilly at him. His shoulders slumped. "It was fine Mikey, Katherine has my mask because I don't know how to use an axe." He growled.

Katherine burst out laughing Michelangelo looked at them in confusion. "Lose a bet or something Raph?" Michelangelo asked as Raphael glared at her.

Leonardo walked into the kitchen, and went for a glass in the cupboard. Leonardo looked at him and frowned. "Where's your mask?" He asked.

Raphael glared at Katherine and repeated what he had just said. Leonardo looked at him in confusion. Katherine and Michelangelo were in whoops. "You totally lost a bet Raph!" Michelangelo said clutching his stomach.

"Mikey!" Raphael yelled at his little brother.

"No seriously Raph, this is too good, Raph actually admitting he can't do something!" Michelangelo laughed.

"That's it Mikey you're dead!" Raphael said as he lunged at his little brother.

"Now Raphael, a bet is a bet." Katherine said to him as he grabbed Michelangelo around the waist tumbling to the floor with him.

He glared at her. "You're going to pay for this Kitten." He growled at her angrily.

Leonardo knelt down looking him straight in the eye. Anger raged in Leonardo's eyes. "Did you just threaten her?" He asked quietly, too quietly for Katherine to hear.

All of Raphael's anger left him as he looked in shock at his older brother. He pushed himself up and helped Michelangelo to his feet.

"Okay Michelangelo you've had your fun, bet's done." Katherine said stepping between him and Leonardo. "That is what you get for being so cocky." She said pulling him away from his brother's angry gaze. Katherine threw a look over her shoulder at Leonardo as she led him to the table.

* * *

**Leonardo** watched the flames dance and flicker in the grate. He paced back and forth as he waited for Katherine to meet him. She had said she had wanted to talk to him and if her anger had died down since they last spoke, it was raging again. His fingers itched for his swords. He felt naked and unprotected without them, and right now, he felt like he needed protection.

He closed his eyes. The next two weeks were going to be hell. Katherine was right, if he tried hard enough he could probably manage to avoid her. There were only two problems with that idea; the first was that he had to keep an eye on his brothers, especially Raphael who seemed to be getting overly familiar with Katherine; the second problem being that he felt miserable when he wasn't around her. If she was not near him he felt empty, felt as if something was missing. He was trying to be strong, but his defences were beginning to fail.

He should have been happy that Katherine was so angry with him. It should have made it easier if she wanted nothing to do with him. Unfortunately he couldn't have her thinking he hated her. The thought that she believed that he hated her made him feel physically ill.

The door to the library opened and Katherine walked in closing the door behind her. Leonardo swallowed.

She walked past him and slid up onto the desk. She tipped her head to the side as she coolly assessed him. He felt nervous and his hands here slick with sweat. He looked into her cold angry eyes. She blew out a breath and closed her eyes. "You really have no idea that you are constantly doing it, do you?" She said opening her eyes and studying him. Her eyes were no longer cold, or filled with anger, more resignation.

"Doing what, pissing you off?" He asked her, defensive anger rising in its place. No wonder Raphael was so angry all the time, it was his defence mechanism against his constant barrage of lectures. Having all of your actions constantly being called to task was uncomfortable and made him feel like he was child. _Great now he owed Raphael an apology._ He thought to himself

He glared at her. She sighed. "Besides that." She said rolling her eyes. "Come here Leonardo." He walked up to her. With her sitting on the desk she was slightly taller than he was. He looked up into her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

"I know you worry about your family, and I know you worry about me, but you aren't their father, and you aren't mine. Believe me, I already have one overprotective parent, I don't need another one." He could hear the smile in her husky voice. She pulled away and looked him in the eyes, her thumbs brushing against his cheeks. "I love that you care, and I love that you are protective, but when you treat me like some frail damsel in distress it pisses me off. So stop it." She said with a reproving smile. She lightly kissed his cheek. "You're a good man Leonardo." She said sliding off the desk forcing him to move away.

All of his anger had vanished the moment she had touched him. Her lips had been like the softest of flower petals against his cheek. He looked down at her, a need he had a hard time identifying coursing through him. He wanted her. He wanted to touch her, kiss her properly, strip her naked and take her right there on the desk, but besides all of this, there was something else rolling around in his gut. "You ever think about having kids Kitten?" He asked, the words coming out even before his brain had time to process what he was saying.

"Why, because I am so good at handling the four of you?" She asked with a laugh, but tipped her head to the side as if seriously thinking over the question. "I don't think I have ever thought about it that much. I have never been one of those girls who is baby obsessed, and I'm a little young," She said pausing in thought. "But I suppose in a few years, I suppose I would like to have kids." She said studying him.

Leonardo gave a nod and strode to the door. "We good?" He asked unlocking it and opening it.

"I don't know, you tell me." She said from across the room.

"Yeah, we're good." He said as he managed to put one foot in front of the other as wave after wave of realization crashed into him.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 yay! Hope everyone is enjoying so far!

* * *

Chapter 15

**Raphael** felt as if the whole world had gone crazy, or if not the whole world at least Leonardo. He had been watching his brother the last few days, after Leonardo and Katherine had had it out in the library after dinner. All he knew was that he had never seen Leonardo look so pale, pulled, and miserable. He wondered what the hell she had said to him, especially after Leonardo had come up to him and apologized for always lecturing him. He had nearly fallen over from absolute and utter shock.

Raphael walked into Donatello's room. Donatello had wanted to talk to him and he was pretty sure it was going to be regarding Leonardo, so he was completely surprised when Donatello said he wanted to talk about Katherine.

"Aren't you worried about Leo?" He asked his brother.

"I'm less worried about Leo and more worried about Kitten. She hasn't slept in three days Raph, three days." Donatello stressed.

Raphael closed his eyes. "I know." He said softly. He knew because he had planted himself outside her room for the last three nights and knew she had left her room after he had finally fallen asleep. He had woken up each night to find a blanket draped over himself and Michelangelo telling him that Kitten wasn't in her room anymore and that she was wandering around the house, or she was in the library, or she was in the theatre room, or the art room.

Hell, he'd been having problems sleeping, only managing a few hours here and there, worrying that when she and if she slept, she would have another hellish nightmare.

"So if you knew she wasn't sleeping why didn't you tell me?" Donatello growled angrily. Raphael remained silent. Donatello's eyes narrowed. "Mikey says something happened the night I woke up. He said you wouldn't talk about it, and Kitten won't talk about it. All he knows is that you washed all of her sheets and when she walked out of the room in the morning she was wearing nothing but your shirt. You want to tell me what happened?"

Raphael shook his head. "Nope." He said to his younger brother.

"Raph." Donatello growled.

"Donny, it's not my story to tell. If Kitten doesn't want anyone to know what happened I'm not going to tell you. Hell, her and I have never discussed what happened that night, and I was there." He said with exasperation.

"Well do you know why she isn't sleeping?" He asked him.

Raphael nodded. _Yeah, he knew, it was the same reason he couldn't sleep_.

"Fine, then maybe you can get her to sleep, and if she won't just go to bed, give her these." He said handing him two white pills.

"Sleeping meds Donny?" He asked as Donatello nodded. "She'll hate me." He said to his brother. That is if she actually survived sleeping through the night.

"Better she hate you than she just finally collapses. She needs to sleep." Donatello insisted.

"Fine." He grumbled as he closed his hands around the pills.

He walked to the door and looked back at his brother. "You know what's wrong with Leo?" He asked worried.

"If Leo wants to tell us, then we will know, now get going." He said to him. Raphael nodded and went to find Katherine.

_How the hell was he supposed to convince Katherine to sleep when the last time _

_she slept not only had she been dragged through a horrible nightmare, but it had almost, no **had**, killed her?_ He wondered to himself.

He strode through the house looking for her. Leonardo was already in bed and Michelangelo was sleeping as well, which wasn't surprising since it seemed he had been the one keeping her company when she was awake during the night.

He just hoped he would be able to find her. It was strange, he knew it was a big house, but sometimes it was almost like she just disappeared.

He finally managed to find her in the theatre room. She had just put in a movie and was in the process of sitting down. "You want some company?" He asked her. She turned and looked at him in surprise.

She shrugged. "Make yourself comfortable." She said as she sat down on one of the reclining leather theatre seats.

Michelangelo had spent quite a bit of time in the theatre room, but Raphael hadn't had a chance yet. The screen was huge, there were two rows of reclining chairs, four in each row. Each chair had cup holders in each armrest. Katherine curled up in her seat and cuddled into a blanket. He studied her tired, pale face. Dark circles had formed beneath her eyes and she looked as if she were going to collapse. "So what are you watching?" He asked as he sat down beside her. He looked at the cup holder that held a bottle of pop.

"Beauty and the Beast." She said with a wan smile.

"Wait, the Disney one with all the dancing furniture and the singing?" He asked in horror.

She laughed. "Yes, that one. It's my favourite."

Raphael grabbed Katherine's bottle of pop, opened the cap, took a swig and slipped the pills in.

She held out her hand for the pop and took a swig. She put it back and curled up further into the blanket. Raphael glared at the arm rest between them. He studied the row of seats. He pulled out the pop and pulled the armrest up. He smiled and pulled Katherine closer to him, putting the pop into his cup holder. If she was bothered by him tucking her into his side, she didn't protest, just arranged the blanket over them both and snuggled in closer to him.

The movie started. He took a swig of the pop offering her another drink, which she took. If he were lucky maybe she would fall asleep within the first 15 minutes then he could follow her so he wouldn't have to watch the movie.

"You've never watched it?" She asked him.

He looked at her. "When would I have watched this?" He asked her. They were already singing.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know, I would have to assume you were little once." She said pointing at the screen.

"Just cause we were little didn't mean we watched this stuff." He said pointing to the screen.

She shook her head. "You missed out."

"No, pretty sure I didn't."

Katherine fell silent as he realized he was dissing her movie sight unseen. "So what makes this movie so great?" He asked her.

She looked up at him. "A few things. Normally I'm not a fan of it when they change a fairytale, but in this case, it is so much better than the original. Anyway, I like the songs and the characters are really good. Oh, and the Beast is sexy."

"What?" Raphael asked in surprise.

"The Beast is hot." She repeated.

He looked at the screen as the Beast came on. "But he's a big hairy beast, how can the Beast be hot?"

She paused the movie. "Okay the bad guy in this is Gaston."

"Singing guy at the beginning, I got that." Raphael said waiting for her to get to the point.

"So he is athletic, good looking and rich, everything a girl should want in a guy, but he just wants to marry Belle cause she's hot. He doesn't really care about her personality. Not cool. So here is the Beast and he is..."

"Scary as hell. I'm mean he's in a rage most of the time, and he is a big hairy beast." Raphael said pointing at the movie.

She pressed the play button. "Yes, but he likes that she's pretty, but he also likes her." She pointed out. "And he's just all pissed off because he figures that no woman is ever going to look at him as anything more than an animal. He figures he's going to be a beast and alone forever. But Belle sees him for who he really is, and she loves him despite what he looks like." She said pointing at the screen.

Raphael glared at the screen. _Great, his life was a Disney movie_. "But he turns into a human at the end right?" He asked her.

"Yeah." She sighed. "They just had to ruin it by making him human." She said shaking her head sadly.

"But...isn't that a good thing?" He asked confused.

She shrugged. "He was way hotter as the Beast. Besides what's the point of preaching 'it's what's on the inside that counts' and then make him the handsome prince in the end, I call boo." She said crossing her arms. "It's like them ruining Shrek."

"What's wrong with Shrek? They didn't make Fiona a human, they made her an Ogre." He said in confusion.

Katherine yawned taking another swig of pop. "Okay, but she falls in love with Shrek right?" She said to him.

"Yes." He said slowly wondering where the hell her brain was going.

"Well, for one thing, when she turned into an Ogre at night, she was all 'oh no I'm a horrible ugly beast'. This makes no sense, I mean wouldn't she have met Shrek and been like, 'Oh I turn into an Ogre.' She thinks Shrek only loves her because she's pretty as a human." She shook her head. "Then she ends up an Ogre which is exactly like what he is, like it's not okay for her to love him being human." She huffed out. "Oh but I know a good one. Hellboy. That is a good movie. Hellboy is hot and he is in love with Liz who is human, and they don't try to make him human."

"But he's a giant red walking devil, with horns and a tail." Raphael said numbly.

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter, he's still hot."

He looked over at her in shock. She was staring straight ahead watching the movie. He felt a little lost, no he was a lot lost, he was so far lost, a GPS unit couldn't help him find his way back. "Have you always thought that way?" He asked his voice a little unsteady.

"Yep, why?" She asked him curiously.

"No reason." He managed to get out. Raphael closed his eyes. _What were the chances that he had managed to stab, probably the only woman on the planet ,who thought it ruined a movie if both of the people falling in love were human?_ "You watched a lot of Star Trek when you were little didn't you?" He questioned.

"I loved Next Generation." She said sleepily.

"You played D&D in high school didn't you?"

"Yes." She answered with a yawn.

"Of course you did." He said with a smile. She was a total nerd, yet somehow it was endearing. He reached for the control and turned the movie off. She frowned up at him. "Well I don't want you being all disappointed at the end when he turns back into a human." He said huskily.

"But I'll miss the best part." She complained.

"And what's that?" He asked her, turning so he could look at her better. He put his hand on the side of her cheek leaning in closer to her.

"The kiss." She said a little breathlessly.

"Oh, I think I can help you out with that one." He leaned into her and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and warm. He technically didn't have lips and his mouth was bigger than hers, but somehow they made it work. Her arms had wrapped themselves around his neck and twined themselves through the ties of his mask that she had given back to him. He hungrily kissed her. Kissing her felt so right as if he had finally found where he belonged. He pushed her down into the couch moving the other chair's armrest out of the way. He lay on top of her kissing her with a need that threatened to overwhelm him.

Her lips started to slow as did his. He pulled away and looked at her. She was frowning in confusion. "I'm tired." She whispered.

Raphael frowned and looked at the pop bottle at his feet. He closed his eyes as a wave of tiredness rode over him. _Damn you Donny! _He cursed at his injured brother in his head.

"I feel like I've been drugged." She slurred out. Her eyes narrowed. "You drugged me." She accused.

He closed his eyes in resignation. Now she was going to hate him, or at least be really, really pissed off at him.

"Raphael." She said, hurt in her voice. _Crap and damn_. Her being angry he could take, the hurt in her voice struck him through to his heart.

"We need to sleep Kitten." He said with resignation softly stroking the side of her face.

"But..." She said, fear lacing the word. She clutched the trailing ties of his mask more tightly.

"I'm here, if I can't stop it, at least I'll be there with you." He promised her.

"Stay?" She asked, eyes already closed.

"Forever." He whispered, sleep beginning to drag him down.

She was silent, sleep having claimed her. Raphael shifted so he was no longer laying on her. Her face was buried in his chest. She was going to hate him in the morning. He thought as he closed his eyes and slept.

* * *

**Michelangelo** walked down the hall. He had just finished breakfast, seen to it that Donatello had eaten and was now checking on Katherine and Raphael. Donatello had wanted him to check on Katherine, since he had apparently gotten Raphael to drug her last night.

He stood outside Katherine's door and turned the knob. He stuck his head in and found light streaming into the room, and a bed that hadn't been slept in. Michelangelo frowned. He pulled his head out and looked down the hall to the room Raphael had been using, but not actually sleeping in. He walked up to his older brother's door. He slowly turned the knob and stuck his head in, afraid he was going to find them both asleep in the bed together...or worse not sleeping, but in the bed together. He pulled his head out and frowned. Raphael's bed hadn't been slept in at all either_. So where were they? _He wondered ignoring the relief that flooded through him at not finding his brother in bed with the woman he loved.

He wandered around the house until he finally stumbled upon them in the Theatre room.

Katherine was wrapped in Raphael's arms, both sound asleep. He took in the single bottle of pop still sitting in the armrest at their feet. It looked like they had fallen asleep right where they fell. Raphael had obviously drugged them both.

He frowned. He was worried about both of them. He tended to be more the night owl of any of his brothers, but when he stumbled upon Raphael sitting outside Katherine's door the last three nights in a row, he had grown worried. Especially after seeing Katherine just wandering around, or watching movies with him and not going to bed after he had finally called it a night. He had thought that Raphael sitting outside her door was strange until he realized she had been slipping past him when he fell asleep for a few minutes, and not returning to her room, which meant Raphael was guarding an empty room. But he didn't know why Raph was sleeping outside her room. This also meant Raphael was only catching snatches of sleep as well, as if he was afraid to go to sleep.

Michelangelo wasn't sure what had happened that night, all he knew was that whatever had happened had scared Raphael to death, so much so that he was afraid to sleep.

Michelangelo watched the two forms sleep for a few moments then quietly retreated back into the hallway. He gently closed the door behind him.

"You seen Raph, Mikey?" Leonardo asked him as he turned around.

"He's still sleeping." He answered slowly.

"Kitten?" He asked.

"Sleeping." He said to his older brother who just nodded and proceeded to walk into the library. He frowned looking after his oldest brother. There was something wrong with Leonardo as well. After his talk with Katherine it was almost as if he was avoiding her, and yet...not. It was almost as if he tried to avoid her, and yet for some reason he couldn't.

He walked upstairs to Donatello's room. Donatello looked up from typing on the laptop Katherine had given him. "Hey Donny." He said to his brother.

Donatello frowned. "That took a while."

"Yeah well I had to actually find them." He said taking the chair next to his bed.

"What do you mean find them?" Donatello asked eyes narrowing.

"I checked Kitten's room and she wasn't there." He said with a shrug, but watching his brother's face carefully.

He watched his brother's face as jealousy ripped across it at the implication that Raphael and Katherine had slept together. It was interesting to know that his brother was still in love with Katherine. He put his brother out of his misery. "I checked Raph's room and he wasn't in his room either."

"So you're telling me that Raph couldn't get Kitten to go to sleep last night." Donatello said with frustration.

"Well I don't think either of them had much of a choice since my guess is that Raphael drugged Kitten, and himself." He said to his brother. "I found them both sleeping in the Theatre room."

Donatello looked shocked. "Raphael wasn't sleeping either was he?" He asked softly. Michelangelo shook his head.

"He'd get a few hours here and there, but no, he wasn't really sleeping either." He said softly. "Donny, did Raph tell you what happened?" He asked.

Donatello shook his head.

"Something's been bugging me Donny, but I can't quite figure out what it is." He said frowning.

"You'll figure it out Mikey." Donatello said to him.

"You get yourself hooked up to our security system in the lair?" He asked changing the subject.

"Just finished patching myself through. This way we can keep an eye on what is going on back home." Donatello said with a smile.

Michelangelo frowned. "How are you feeling Donny. I know it's only been a few days..." He let the sentence hang.

Donatello looked at him. "I feel surprisingly good Mikey. My shoulder is still pretty sore, and itchy, but I feel really good, as long as I don't overdo it." He said with a smile.

He smiled at his older brother relieved. He had been worried, but Donatello seemed to be recovering really well.

* * *

**Donatello** looked up from the laptop a few hours later as Leonardo strode angrily into his room. Donatello closed his eyes in resignation as he closed the laptop. "What's up Leo?"

"Where is Raph! Mikey said he was still sleeping and it's 2:00 in the afternoon!" He said angrily.

"Why do you care, just let him sleep Leo." Donatello said giving his brother an assessing look.

"We were supposed to be sparring this morning and he never showed up." He growled. "But I checked his room and he's not there."

"Raphael didn't sleep in his room." Donatello said opening up his laptop. He looked at his brother under hooded lids. He had been trying to figure out what had happened between Leonardo and Katherine and couldn't figure it out. Donatello had asked Katherine if she was still mad at Leonardo, but she said they were good, so if they were good, then why did Leonardo look so utterly destroyed?

"You seen Kitten yet today?" He asked his brother to gage his reaction.

"No." He said with a shake of his head. "Mikey says she's still...sleeping." Leonardo finished his sentence as realization struck him. Leonardo went pale, swallowed and clenched his fists together as a jealous rage ripped through his brother's eyes. Well that answered that question, Leonardo _was_ in love with Katherine, but he was no closer to figuring out what was wrong with him.

"You haven't noticed?" He asked his brother in shock.

"No." Leonardo growled. "I haven't noticed that Raphael has been...been..." Leonardo couldn't even finished the sentence. "I wasn't aware that Katherine was...that they were..."

"Not sleeping." Donatello supplied.

"Yes, not sleeping." Leonardo ground out through clenched teeth.

Donatello closed his eyes. "What happened between the two of you that you haven't noticed that Kitten and Raphael haven't been sleeping?" He asked his brother angrily hoping to goad him into revealing what had been bothering him.

Leonardo looked at him angrily. "That is none of your business Donny. I'm sorry if I didn't realize that Raphael was fu..."

"Don't even finish that word Leo." Donatello growled cutting his brother off. Leonardo glared at him.

"Katherine had not slept in three days. Three days because she has been too damn afraid to go to sleep, same with Raph, something happened and neither of them is willing to talk about it. But whatever it was, it scared Raph so bad that he ended up downing three glasses of scotch before he could stop shaking in fear, and Raph doesn't scare easy." He said in a low anger tinged voice.

Leonardo's brow furrowed. "Raph hates hard liquor." Leonardo said in confusion.

"Exactly. I gave Raph some sleeping meds last night. He drugged her and himself. Mikey says they are still sleeping in the theatre room." Leonardo nodded and turned on his heel. "Don't you dare wake either of them up Leo." He growled.

"Donny I..." He began as Michelangelo burst into the room.

"Salt." Michelangelo said triumphantly. Donatello and Leonardo looked at Michelangelo in confusion.

"What?" Donatello asked his proud brother.

"Remember I said something was bothering me about the night something happened with Raph and Kitten." Michelangelo asked. Donatello nodded as Leonardo looked at Michelangelo with confusion.

"Mikey bumped into Raph in the hallway carrying all of Katherine's clothes and bedding." Donatello explained.

Michelangelo nodded. "Raph looked like he'd seen a ghost. He was all pale and shaking. He handed me a pile of sheets and he went back for the rest. I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn't tell."

Donatello looked at his brothers."I asked Raph about it yesterday and Raph said it wasn't his story to tell, and that if Kitten wasn't willing to share, then neither was he. He also said whatever had happened he and Katherine hadn't talked about it either."

"So how do you know they didn't..." Leonardo began.

Michelangelo cut him off. "Cause Raph said he was tired of this 'supernatural, spiritual crap'. And besides, if Kitten rejected Raph, Raph would have been beyond embarrassed and pissed, instead of scared beyond all reason." Michelangelo pointed out.

"So salt?" Donatello asked his younger brother.

Michelangelo brightened. "Right, well, when Raph shoved the bedding in my face, it smelled funny and I really couldn't figure out what it smelled like, but then I figured out that the smell I couldn't figure out was salt.

Donatello frowned. "So her bedding was drenched in...sweat?" He asked.

Michelangelo shook his head. "I thought it was sweat at first too, but like I said, her bedding was drenched, like someone had thrown buckets of water on the sheets, same with her clothes, soaked. Then I figured it out. It smelled like the ocean. You know the ocean smells like salt and water and seaweed and a little fishy. That is what it smelled like. It smelled like her sheets had been drenched in sea water, but the sheets also smelled like horses and blood. Lots and lots of blood." He said softly.

"Horses and blood?" Leonardo asked in confusion. "Are you sure Mikey?"

Michelangelo nodded emphatically. "I know the smell of horses, there are enough of them in Central park, and I remember what it smelled like when Donatello was shot." He finished softly. "But there wasn't any blood on the sheets, and I can't figure out why they would smell like horses and the sea." Michelangelo said in frustrated confusion.

"Well I don't think we will figure it out unless Kitten decides to tell us." Donatello said slowly. "You want to go check on Raph and Kitten?" He asked Michelangelo.

"Sure Donny." Michelangelo said shaking himself out of his worried gloom.

Leonardo went to follow him out. "Hey Leo?" He asked. His brother stopped and looked at him. "If you ever talk that way about Kitten again, I will personally kick your ass the first chance I get." He threatened. "I don't know what your problem is, but you aren't allowed to throw yourself into a jealous rage if Kitten decides to actually start dating Raph, or any one of us she may be interested in. If you aren't going to date her, then you have no right to get angry."

Leonardo turned a strained, pale face towards him. "Stay away from her Donny." He said in a soft threatening voice.

Donatello glared. "No." He said to his older brother.

Leonardo walked to the door. "If you love her Donny, you will stay the hell away from her." He said as he walked out the door.

* * *

**Leonardo** was sitting and staring at his sleeping brother and Katherine who was firmly encircled in Raphael's arms. Tt had been a few hours after his confrontation with Donatello and he had finally decided to look in on the pair. His eyes narrowed. He had wanted to move them, put Katherine in her room, Raphael in his, but he knew if he moved them they would wake up and even he recognized that this would not be a good idea.

He was going to have to talk to his brothers the first chance he got. He stood up, took one last look at the sleeping pair and walked out of the room.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**Raphael** woke up with Katherine still buried into his side. He looked at the clock on the TV and concluded that they must have slept through the entire day and into the next night. He didn't want to move, but found that he felt stiff and sore, he also had to use the bathroom. He moved hoping not to wake her, but she woke up anyway.

"Ow." She said as she stretched. She sat up and looked at him her eyes narrowed. "Donatello." She growled.

She rolled off the couch and looked herself over. Satisfied that she wasn't drenched again she looked back at him, anger rolling around in her eyes. He swallowed.

"Thank you for keeping the nightmares away Raphael." She said as she caressed his cheek. She straightened and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked trying to grab at her hand.

"Have to go to the bathroom, then me and Donatello are going to have a little chat." She growled striding out the door.

"Poor Donny." Raphael said standing up and stretching all of the kinks out of his muscles. At least she wasn't mad at _him_.

He frowned. He had kissed her and she had kissed him back. Did that mean they were..._something _now? He didn't know how this stuff worked. Hell he never thought he would ever actually kiss a woman let alone be able to have some sort of relationship with one. _Damn, now what?_ He asked himself. Well first things first. He headed to his room to change and go to the bathroom.

* * *

**Donatello** looked up from his laptop as Katherine strode in. She was furious. He sighed inwardly and closed the laptop. He opened his mouth to talk, but she cut him off. "You had no right." She growled softly.

"Kath..."

"No Donatello, I'm talking right now and you are going to listen very carefully." She said in a voice with all the warmth and colour of the arctic.

Donatello's mouth snapped shut. He swallowed. It was bad enough seeing her fury directed towards Leonardo, it was even worse having it directed at him.

"You had no right to have Raphael drug me. You have no idea the reasons I was doing what I was doing." She said as she walked over to his bed. She looked at him, shoulders slumping. "I know you were worried. I don't blame you for doing what you did, and I know I haven't told you why going to sleep scares me so much, and it is not something I want to talk about. If our roles were reversed I probably would have done the same thing, but all you had to do was ask, I may have been willing to try the sleeping pills. So next time, ask." She said gently as she moved to walk away.

"Katherine, wait...please." He pleaded with her. She looked at him over her shoulder, her white hair a silken mass that trailed down to the middle of her back.

"I'm sorry." He said to her. She turned around and walked back to his bed sitting down at his side. "You're right, I didn't have the right, but...I know it's all my fault." He whispered as despair rolled through him. She had been fine until he was shot. Until she had risked everything to bring him back.

She studied him intently. "What will it take for you to get it through your head that none of this is your fault? If I don't blame you for anything, you cannot blame yourself." She said to him. He shook his head. "I see." She assessed him. She gently reached out and touched his cheek. Awareness ripped through him. His entire focus narrowed and blazed with the realization that his whole world existed only for her and because of her. He pulled her forward and kissed her. Finally she gently pulled away and looked into his eyes. "You are worth whatever price was paid." She said softly as she stood and quietly left his room.

She had tasted like the sweetest honey and at that moment he realized she was right. It was selfish he knew, but he would pay any price to be able to kiss her again.

A few moments later Leonardo strode in followed by Raphael and Michelangelo. Donatello grimaced. It felt like family meeting time. He glared at his oldest brother. He was not in the mood to hear whatever his brother had to say, and it didn't look like either Raphael or Michelangelo were in the mood either.

"What the hell is this all about Leo?" Raphael growled at him.

"You guys don't seem to get it do you?" Leonardo growled back.

"Get what Leo?" Raphael asked. "Get that you are seriously beginning to piss me off!" Raphael yelled.

Leonardo closed his eyes a look of defeat crossing over his face. "Don't you get it Raph?" Leonardo pleaded for understanding. "It's too much. We can't ever ask her to give up so much. We would be asking her to give up her friends her family, her career, and any chance she would ever have of having a family of her own. Don't you see, we can't ask her to give up everything. It's too selfish."

"It isn't our choice to make Leo" Donatello told his brother gently as he finally understood what had devastated his brother. "It was never our choice to make."

"And how long before she regrets the choice she makes? How long before she realizes that the price for being with one of us isn't worth it? How long before she finally hates us for taking away everything?" Leonardo asked his voice cracking with emotion.

"Leo, it is her life, her choice, and she is right. We have choice and we have to live with the consequences of our decisions. She's a smart woman Leo." Donatello told his desperate brother.

"But she's so young Donny." Leonardo said. "She's too young to be making this sort of decision."

"As far as I'm aware Leo, there isn't a time limit." Donatello pointed out.

Leonardo frowned. "Then why does it feel like there is?" He asked as he strode to the door, opened it and closed it gently behind him.

"Okay, does anyone else know what is going on?" Michelangelo asked in confusion. Donatello thoughtfully looked at the closed door.

"It ain't nothing we haven't heard before Mikey." Raphael growled. "I don't know what the hell Leo's problem is, but if I want to ask Kitten out, then I am going to ask her out, and Leo ain't going to stop me."

Michelangelo and Donatello looked at him in shock. "What?" Raphael asked his brothers.

"Not if I ask her first Raph." Michelangelo threatened.

"Yeah you just try it Mikey." Raphael retorted.

Donatello cut in."You ever think about having kids Raph?"

"I...what?" Raphael asked in confusion.

"Kids, ever think about having any?" Donatello asked again.

"Donny, I never even thought about being able to go out with a woman, why would I think about havin' kids?"

"Well, possible woman in your life, now think about it." Donatello prodded.

Raphael frowned. "But we can't have kids." He pointed out to his brother.

"I know Raph, but think about if you _could_. Would you want to have kids with Katherine?" Donatello prodded his brother who frowned as if he couldn't quite wrap his head around the concept.

"I don't know Donny, I mean, I don't know if I'd even want to have kids. I mean, I'm selfish and hot tempered, I don't think I'd be a good father." He said shaking his head. "Leo'd make a good fath...oh shit." He said as understanding hit him.

"Yeah, that sums it up rather well." Donatello said grimly.

"I'm still confused." Michelangelo cut in.

"Don't you see Mikey, something must have happened that Leo realized that he loves Katherine so much, that he wants the whole package deal. He wants the marriage, the children and the house with the little white picket fence. But the most important part is that he realized that he wants to be a father. He wants to have children with Katherine, which is a biological impossibility. So he is telling us all to back off because he doesn't want her to hate him or one of us for taking away her chance of having all of those things." Donatello told Michelangelo.

Michelangelo was silent as he digested this information. "Poor Leo, we could never marry her, we live in a sewer, and it isn't even like we can just adopt either." He said soberly.

"That is why he said she is too young to be making this kind of decision, because she's only 21. I mean in a few months we're going to be turning 26 and she _just_ turned 21 right before she came here. There's an almost 5 year gap between our ages." Donatello pointed out.

Raphael frowned. "So you know, huh Donny?" Raphael asked him.

"What, that we are all in love with Katherine? Yeah I know, took a while to figure out. Actually I'm surprised that you noticed Raph." Donatello told him.

"I didn't, knuckle-head over there pointed it out to me." Raphael said motioning towards Michelangelo.

Donatello looked at Michelangelo and nodded. Even though everyone considered him the genius, sometimes he had a hard time figuring out the way his brother's thought. Michelangelo however could be quite astute in that regard.

"So now what Donny?" Raphael asked.

Donatello shook his head. He had kissed her this morning, but he knew Katherine was an extremely affectionate person. She tended to have little regard for personal space and boundaries. She had frequently hugged, held hands, and had fallen asleep on all of them. "We let Katherine choose." Donatello told his brothers softly.

* * *

**Leonardo** watched the flames flicker in the grate. He was sitting alone in the very corner of the darkened library. He wasn't sure why, but he was essentially hiding from everyone.

He wished he could continue to be angry at his brother's, angry at them for being so selfish, but there was a huge part of himself that had the same desire, so he could not fault them.

There was a part of him that wished she had never stumbled into his life, showed him what he could never have. He had never thought about where all of Raphael's rage had come from, but now he understood. He understood what Raphael had understood and what he had never thought about; that they were lonely, and that there was never going to be anyone to fill that loneliness.

Leonardo frowned. But Raphael's temper had gotten better. He was still quick to anger, but he was more controlled. Leonardo's frown deepened. Actually they had all changed in some way. Donatello was more social, more confident, Michelangelo was more serious, less prone to joking. He did joke, could joke, still had fun, but there was a new level of maturity that hung about him now.

Katherine had changed him as well. She had made him know himself better. And as miserable as he was at the moment, he would never give up having known her. She had brought happiness back into their lives, she had given them hope for something... _more._

So the question he now had to answer for himself was: _Was willing to stand back and let one of his brothers have her?_

He looked up as Katherine walked into the library. He wondered if she was looking for him. She looked at the fire, the reflecting flames dancing across her face. She sat down in one of the wing chairs that was sitting by the fire.

He wasn't sure if he should announce his presence or not. She didn't look as if she wanted any company, and he realized he couldn't really blame her. His brothers and even himself were a lot to handle. Even April had problems dealing with all of them at times.

She looked like she was deep in thought. She stood up and looked at a card in her hand. It must have been the Tarot card of The Hanged Man. She tossed it into the fire, then strode to the door. "Don't stay up too late Leonardo." She said as she gently closed the door behind her.

Leonardo looked at the door in shock. _She hadn't even glanced his way. How had she even known he was in here?_

* * *

**Katherine** looked at the sleeping figure outside her door. He had only been there for about half an hour, but had fallen into a heavy doze. She knew he would wake himself up in a few moments.

She had snuck past him a few moments earlier after she had decided to make sure Leonardo was alright. He had been playing least in sight all day and she had wondered if he was okay. She had found him in the library. She had sat down on the chair by the fire, wondering if she should intrude on his thoughts. He had obviously not wanted any company otherwise he wouldn't have been sitting alone in the darkened room. She had decided to leave him alone and if he wanted to talk, he could come and find her. She had sat on the stupid Tarot card and had decided to toss it into the fire. She was curious if it would stay gone, or if it would magically reappear again.

She turned her attention back to Raphael. She feared sleep. It had been a relief to have slept for nearly 36 hours straight, but she didn't wanted to drug herself every single night. And if she didn't sleep, or rather if she slept, Raphael would not sleep.

She closed her eyes. It wasn't the first time she had ever had the dream, but it was the first time that it had been that real, that vivid, that complete. She had always only seen the end, but not the very ending. She had always remembered the running, the sound of the horses pursuing her and the crash of the sea against unforgiving cliffs. But she had always woken up when she had hit the edge of the cliffs and tried to turn back, now she had seen the entirety of the dream. She knew that it had been her, but not her. She knew it was more memory than dream, but the creature at the end, the one who had killed her, she had no idea if that was real or just part of her own imagination giving a horrible image to the one who had killed her, thrown her into the sea, where the waters had tried to drown her, even in this life.

In her nightmare she had _been_ Kaethryn. She had felt all of the pain, fear, shame and anger that Kaethryn had, and yet she knew that Raphael was there. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was watching, knew it was he who had pulled her back from the icy depths of the crashing sea. Her simple, easy, sane and rational life had suddenly gotten harder, less sane, and completely irrational.

But she knew she had to sleep, and so did he. She knelt down and touched his shoulder lightly.

He opened his eyes, fully awake and alert. She stared into his concerned honey brown eyes. "Let's go to sleep Raphael. You promised that even if I had a nightmare you would at least be there to share it with me." She whispered helping him to his feet.

She took his hand, opened the door and closed it gently behind her. She let go of his hand and crawled into bed. She curled up into a little ball facing away from him. She heard the scrape of a chair.

"Come to bed Raphael, I'm not going to have you staring at me all night like some stalker." She said softly and wished her voice would return to normal. Everything that came out of her mouth now sounded like a husky, sex-filled invitation.

She felt the mattress give under his weight as he slipped beneath the covers. She rolled into him, snuggled in close and closed her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her.

"You're going to kill me, you know that right?" Raphael's husky voice sounded in her ear.

She swallowed. His voice always had the ability to pull things tight in her belly. She wanted him. She wanted to touch him, kiss him, make love with him, but the problem was that until she figured out which brother was the one who was truly in her heart, she couldn't engage in any sort of physical relationship with any of them.

"I know." She whispered.

Raphael tipped her head up and kissed her before she could protest. She broke away from their kiss. "Raphael..." She began. Donatello had kissed her earlier today and she couldn't kiss two different men in the same day. Her morality meter just couldn't handle that, but it was too late now.

"It's okay Kitten, I'm here." He whispered as a wave of guilt ran through her.

"Thank you." She said softly instead. She needed to sort out her feelings. But she was too tired at the moment and being in Raphael's arms was like coming home to be where she belonged. She pulled at the ties of his mask and wrapped them around her fingers. She buried herself in his chest, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

* * *

**Raphael** looked at the woman curled up in his arms. He was tired, but he was unable to sleep. With her pressed against him he was hard pressed to control himself. He wanted to ask her to be his, to go out with him, but something was stopping him.

"Damn you Leo." He whispered the curse to his older brother. The problem was that once a question was asked it could not be unasked, could not be unheard, could not be un-thought. He looked at her pale face reflected in the moonlight.

Possessiveness burned through him. He wanted her. He knew this, knew he was jealous of his other brothers getting near her, but now the possessiveness had turned more animalistic, more territorial, more primal. It didn't matter that he could try to fight with himself, but he wanted what he wanted.

He had never thought about children, or even having kids. There was no point, it was biologically impossible. And he had told Donatello the truth, he thought he would make a terrible father, but he would never know, could never even try, and this thought hurt him more than he ever thought could be possible. But unlike Leonardo, he was a selfish bastard, and he wanted her, because a life with her was better than one without her.

"I love you Katherine." He whispered into her ear. "So how do I convince you to stay with me?" He asked her sleeping figure.

* * *

A/N For anyone shouting at the computer for Katherine to just hurry up and pick Raph already and seriously wondering what her problem is, there is a reason she is having issues, but I guess you will just have to keep reading to find out!

*evil laugh* mmmwwahahahah!

please please read and review!


	17. Chapter 17

I will admit to having a little bit of fun writing this chapter, Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 17

**Michelangelo** looked at the door to the kitchen. "Hey Michelangelo!" Katherine said cheerfully from the door.

"Oh, hey Kitten." He said to her.

She frowned. "You okay Michelangelo?" She asked him her voice worried.

He looked at her seriously. It had been three days since Leonardo had unknowingly revealed what was bothering him, and things were now...off. It was the only way he could think to describe it.

Raphael was possessive, which was normal, but now he was even more possessive if that were even possible. Michelangelo had also noticed that the same gloom that had thrown itself over Leonardo, had thrown itself over Raphael. This surprised him, and yet at the same time, it didn't. Leonardo and Raphael were constantly at each other's throats because as much as they were different, they were even more the same.

Donatello was subdued and distracted, and as for himself, he was not his usual cheerful self. It hurt him that his brothers were hurting and that he was unable to help cheer them up.

He looked at her worried face seriously. "Me, I'm good. Christmas is coming soon." He said changing the subject.

"Yes it is." She frowned at him. He knew he hadn't fooled her one bit, but she was letting him have it.

"I wonder if we're going to celebrate Christmas this year?" He wondered out loud as he stared into his glass of milk, then gently putting it onto the counter.

"Why haven't you been celebrating Christmas?" She asked him walking up to him and touching his shoulder.

He shrugged. "After Master Splinter's death, it just hasn't been the same without him." He said sadly.

"Michelangelo I'm sorry." She said touching his cheek. She pulled him into a hug. He clutched at her. He was still sad about Master Splinter, but he was sad about his brothers as well, and it was making him miserable. "The holidays are always the worst without loved ones." She said softly. He just nodded. "So spend Christmas with me."

He pulled away a little and looked at her in shock.

"I know you guys are leaving at the end of the week, but why don't you guys come back the week before Christmas. We'll go cut down a tree, decorate everything up, have Christmas dinner, exchange presents, the whole Christmas deal." She said with a smile.

"I guess otherwise you would be spending Christmas alone too wouldn't you?" He asked her. She nodded.

"We'll be here Kitten, but why a week before?" He asked.

She blinked and laughed. "In England the very rich used to hold lavish Christmas celebrations leading up until Christmas, but I figured... I could use the company." She said seriously to him.

"Why are you still here Katherine?" He asked her. "You inherited loads of money, have this giant house, why aren't you out living it up, why are you here hanging out with us? Why aren't you going home to see your family for Christmas?"

She gave a half smile. "I haven't thought about it." She said softly. "I mean, you always think, what would I do if I won a whole bunch of money? I have always wanted to travel. I would love to go to Italy and France and Egypt and Scotland and a million other places." She said with excitement.

"So why didn't you, why haven't you, you aren't going to sell this house, so there is nothing to get in order, why aren't you jet setting around the world?" He asked her placing a hand on her velvety cheek.

"Because if I left, I would have to leave you all, and I can't. If I left and went to some amazing place, all I would be able to think about was how much I missed all of you, and how much I wished you were with me." She whispered. "I'm not an emotional person Michelangelo." He looked at her in surprise. "I'm not. Everyone knows me as The Ice Queen."

"Ouch." He winced.

"No I'm proud of the title. I'm not mean or uncaring, but I just don't feel emotion like most people do. I store all of my emotions in little boxes in my head, to be examined later because I don't want to be uncontrolled. I like being in perfect control all the time, but I can't with you and your brothers. I can seem to control my emotions, for short bursts of time yes, but I worried when you were out on patrol. I don't worry about anyone or anything because it serves no purpose to worry. You can't do anything about the situation so why bother? I don't get angry, but you guys have been driving me nuts." She said shaking her head. "And did you know that I have never missed anyone in my entire life?" She asked him.

He shook his head as she continued. "Not my parents, brothers, friends, no one, but all of you I miss. That month when I didn't see any of you, I thought my heart was going to break, because I missed you, I worried for you. I just... I can't imagine my life without all of you." She managed to whisper. "I've never had a boyfriend, _**ever**._ No one could ever hold my attention long enough for me to care. My mother was worried." She said with a half smile. "I told my mom that 'If I could ever find a man I could miss, I'd marry him'. And the worst part about that was that I found not one, but four men who it kills me to be away from for any length of time." She looked at him desperately. "What am I supposed to do Michelangelo?" She asked him.

He gently stroked her cheek. "I don't know." He said softly.

She closed her eyes. "So what now?" She asked him.

He tipped her head up slightly, leaned in and kissed her. It was everything he thought it was going to be and more. Her lips were soft and warm, and filled with the same need that roared through him.

"Michelangelo..." She began pulling away and shaking her head.

"Shhh." He said to her. "I know." He said as he pulled back from her. "And now we look for Christmas decorations." He said brushing a tear from her cheek.

She gave him a shaky smile and nodded. "It's a good idea. We'll look for those and if there aren't any I can go out and buy some so I'll be ready when you guys come back."

Michelangelo nodded, and smiled because what could he say, what could he do? Nothing. She was in love with all of them. Even if she didn't realize it, she was. He stared down into her face. The thought that she loved all of them bothered him a little, but not as much as he thought it would. He supposed it was because he had always wanted his brothers to be as happy as he was. If Katherine made them all happy, why would he stand in the way of that?

"We should start in the basement." She said with a grimace.

"Basements aren't that bad Kitten. " He said cheerfully walking with her to the basement door. "And if you get scared, feel free to grab on to me." He said with a smile.

"Oh whatever Michelangelo you are as much of a fraidy cat as I am." She said smiling.

"So we will grab each other in fear." He laughed as they started down the steps.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and he looked around frowning. "Why does it smell like dirt?" He asked.

She flicked on a light. Through the dim glow of the light he could make out the dirt floor and walls.

"I should really call it a cellar rather than a basement." She said as she walked past large posts that held up the house. He frowned at the posts, they looked like trees. He looked at his feet where the roots of the trees could be seen poking through the dirt.

"This is really weird." Michelangelo said as he patted one of the trees.

"I know, it's like someone just lopped off the top of the trees and plopped a house on top." Katherine said reaching out and touching the tree he was looking at. "Anyway there were a bunch of boxes and things over here." She said pulling him along with her.

They began digging through boxes and at the end of what felt like forever, but was really probably only an hour, they had found nothing but boxes of rum, brandy, Madeira, scotch, rye, whiskey, and an entire rack of wine.

"I don't know if your uncle was a drunk, or just liked to collect alcohol." Michelangelo said closing the final box.

She frowned looking at the wine rack. "I don't know, some of these look like they has been here for a really long time." She said pulling out a bottle of wine. "1846, I wonder if that was a good year?" She said with a quirk of her lips. "Okay well, I guess we try the attic next and if we have no luck there, we are going to have to go out and buy a bunch of stuff." She said standing. She gave him the bottle of wine and pulled out another one, handing it to him. He looked at the two bottles of wine in his hands. "I don't normally drink, but I feel like I could use a drink." Katherine said as she pulled out two more bottles. "There, a bottle of white, one red, one rosé and one ice wine, ooooh nice." She started up the stairs again shutting off the lights behind them.

They walked back into the kitchen and Katherine dug through the drawers. She pulled out a corkscrew and pulled the cork from the rosé. She took the bottle and took a swig. "Actually that is pretty good." She said handing him the bottle. "Okay I know, but I don't have enough hands to be dragging around a couple glasses either. So I'm drinking it like an unsophisticated lush." She said with a smile.

Michelangelo looked at the wine. He wasn't really an alcohol drinker. He and Raphael would share the occasional beer, with Casey, but it was rare. Then he shrugged. He took a swig and was surprised at the sweet gentle flavour.

"This is good." He said with surprise.

She smiled and opened a door that was tucked away in a corner. She opened it revealing a narrow staircase. "Servant's staircase. Servants would have slept in the attic. Come on." She said taking the bottle back and grabbing one of the three bottles sitting on the counter. "Don't forget the wine." She said as she started up the stairs.

* * *

**April** looked at her laptop with worry. "Come on guys where are you?" She whispered as she tried to connect herself with Donatello's laptop. Donatello's face appeared on her screen. Relief washed through her. "Donny, where have you guys been, I've been worried sick! I've been trying to get a hold of you for over a week now and...oh my God what happened?" She exclaimed with worry as she took in the fact that Donatello seemed to be lying in a wrought iron bed bandages covering her chest and left shoulder.

"Hey April. Sorry I just patched into my home computer. We haven't been at the lair for just over a week." He said trying to calm her down.

"Where are you, what happened? Is everyone okay, is the lair okay?" She asked in concern.

"We're all fine April. We are at a friend's house. She's been really great." Donatello said a blush rising in his cheeks.

April looked at her friend in shock. _Why was Donatello blushing, and who was this friend?_ She wondered.

"The lair is fine, but I was hurt pretty bad, they dragged me here so Kitten could help me." He said looking away from the computer screen as if he were thinking about something serious.

"Kitten?" She asked.

He blinked. "Um...sorry Katherine."

"Katherine? No I'm not getting distracted, how badly were you hurt?" She asked worried.

Donatello looked up at the ceiling with a frown, then returned his attention to his screen. "I was shot." He said softly.

"What do you mean you were shot! Donny are you okay? Is this Katherine a doctor, how did you meet her?" She asked desperately, fear coursing through her at the thought of Donatello having been shot.

"It's okay April, really. Kitten did a good job, she's not a doctor, but an anthropology student from Canada. Anyway we met her when Raph stabbed her and nearly killed her." Donatello said staring at the roof again.

"What!" She yelled at the screen.

"Oh, sorry April, that sounded a lot worse than it was...even though that is exactly what happened." He said with a frown.

Donatello then went on to explain how they had met Katherine, who she was, and how they had run into some Red Dragons who had shot at Leonardo, but Donatello ended up taking the bullet instead.

"I'm not going to lie to you April." Donatello said softly. "It was touch and go for a little bit there, but Kitten, she saved my life."

"And you saved hers Donny." She said to him.

He shook his head. "It's not the same April." He said regret running through his voice.

"What aren't you telling me Donny?" She asked him.

"I was dying April, I don't know how close I was to death, but, there was nothing wrong with me. Katherine had stabilized me, but I was still dying, she pulled me back, and it cost her too much." He said wretchedly.

"What did she do?" April asked.

"I don't know, but she probably lost several decades off her life to bring me back. At the very least." He whispered.

"Who is she Donny?" April asked, feeling ill. Donatello had nearly lost his life, and this woman had pulled him back from death at a cost she couldn't even begin to understand.

"She's just an ordinary human, perhaps with a more than average amount of spiritual power, but she's someone special April. She's funny and she's smart, doesn't get technology at all," Donatello said with a smile. "But she loves history and dinosaurs." He said excitedly.

April blinked. Donatello was excited, his face was flushed. Realization hit her. Donatello was in love. She looked at her friend in shock. She turned this thought over in her mind. She had never thought about her friends in a romantic sense, and had never thought much about them not having anyone to share in their lives romantically either. She wondered then how lonely they were, not having much of a possibility of having anyone look at them with anything other than shock and possible revulsion?

Although now that she thought about it she was surprised in a way. She had never thought that they were even attracted to human women, well maybe Michelangelo, but, they had never shown any interest in any women they had ever crossed paths with. _But then,_ she supposed. W_hy bother wanting something you could probably never have?_

She looked at her friend in concern. _Even if Donatello loved her, what were her feelings for him?_ She wondered.

"She sounds great." April said to him, hoping that perhaps her friend could have a relationship with this woman. The thought of her friends being alone forever upset her. But then she wondered if it was even possible for her friend to have a physical relationship with a human woman, she had never thought about it before.

"She is April." Donatello said as he looked at the ceiling again.

"Hey is that April?" She heard Raphael question.

The laptop was picked up and Raphael's face came into view. "I'm going to borrow this for a second Donny I need to ask April something."

She heard a door close and another door open and close. It looked like another bedroom. Raphael sat down on the bed. "You're a chick right April?" He asked her.

"Last time I checked." She said with a smile. "Hello to you too Raph."

"Yeah right." He said slightly distracted. "So Anyway, what did you think about Beauty and the Beast?" He asked her seriously.

"The Disney movie? With the singing and dancing?" She asked completely confused.

"That's the one, what did you think about the Beast?" He questioned.

"What?" She asked even more confused.

"The Beast, were you disappointed at the end when the Beast was turned back into a human?" He asked her.

"Raph did you watch Beauty and the Beast?" She asked him in shock.

"Yeah, Kitten and I watched it, so the end what did you think of the end?" He questioned, looking at the ceiling in confusion, then turning his attention back to her.

"Um..." April's mind was reeling. You couldn't get Raphael to watch anything but sports or action movies, that was it. If there wasn't anything being killed, beaten up, or blown up, he wasn't interested. "The Beast was a big hairy beast, he was kind of scary, but he became likable I suppose. And I was glad when the spell was broken and he was returned to his human form." She said slowly.

Raphael frowned, but nodded slowly. "That's what I thought." He said standing up. She felt as if she had disappointed him somehow. Then it hit her. She closed her eyes. Belle fell in love with the Beast, but he was human in the end. Raphael would never be human. But why was he...?

"April how do you ask a chick out?" He asked her.

"What?" She asked stupidly completely caught off guard by the question.

"You know how does the whole dating thing work?" He asked her.

"Like asking a woman out on a date?" She asked in confusion.

Raphael frowned. "No not like out on a date, where would I take her?" He questioned. "Although we did go for a walk in Central Park that one night, and we held hands, does that count as a date?" He asked her.

"If she thought of it as a date, I would suppose so. If she held your hand then probably." April said completely out to sea.

"Heh." He said with a smile. "So how do I ask her to, I don't know, be my girlfriend, I guess?" His attention wandered again to the ceiling.

"Um...usually you go out on a bunch of dates, and if things get serious you agree not to see other people and become exclusive."

He looked at her as if she wasn't being much help. "What if it is already serious?" He asked softly.

_Uh-oh._ She thought to herself. _He couldn't be talking about this Katherine could he? _She wondered. _But, Donatello was in love with Katherine, so Raphael couldn't be in love with the same woman, could he?_ _Donatello said she was smart, what would she see in Raphael?_

"Hey April." Casey called from behind her. _Oh. Never mind_. She acknowledged to herself.

"Just, if you love her, tell her you love her and ask her how she feels about you. If she loves you too then she's yours." She told him.

Raphael stood looking at the ceiling. He took the laptop with him. "What the hell is going on up there?" He grumbled. "Thanks April, I've got to go check on something. Here, talk to Leo." He said as he passed the laptop off.

Leonardo looked at her in shock. "Oh, hey April, how's the honeymoon?" Leonardo asked looking distractedly at the ceiling.

"Good." She said to him. "Leo what's going on?"

He frowned. "I'm guessing that Mikey and Kitten are in the attic, and they sound like they are dropping things and moving things around. We have no idea what they are doing up there, or even how to get up there." He said shaking his head.

She frowned. _Did all of them refer to her as Kitten? _She wondered."April can I ask you something?" Leonardo said seriously turning his full attention to the screen in front of him.

_Oh no_. She thought to herself. "Sure Leo." She said with a brittle smile.

"You love Casey right?" He asked her.

"Yes." She said slowly.

"How much would you give up for him. Do you love him enough to give up everything for him? And would you hate him if he asked you to?" He asked her, an edge of desperation in his voice.

_Okay, that was a little unexpected_. "Give up what specifically?" She asked in confusion. Leonardo looked at the roof again then back at her.

"If, say things were different, and say because of what Casey was, you had to give up all of your friends, all of your family, your career, and any chance of ever having a family of your own, would Casey be worth it? How much would you hate him for him asking you to give up everything for him?"

She looked at her desperate friend_. Please tell me Katherine has a house full of girl friends._ She thought to herself.

"Leo, I love Casey." She said. "I think what he would be asking of me would be...hard to agree to, but," She paused in thought as she seriously considered the ramifications of loving one of her friends.

The most important part of her life would have to remain secret. Her friends and family would never know that she was in a relationship, she could never marry and never have children with them. She frowned. "Why would she have to give up everything Leo?" She asked him gently. "It isn't like she would have to cut herself off from her friends and family completely. She could still visit them, and why would she have to give up her career? I still work, and still get dragged into all of your guys' messes. As for never having a family, I suppose that would be hard, but it is a challenge many couples have to face. I love Casey and I wouldn't give him up, even if it was the worst case scenario that you just gave me. I would never hate him because then I would have to hate myself, because I went into the situation with all of the facts. As long as she knows fully what she is getting into, then if she decides to be with you, then you should be happy that someone loves you so much that they would give up so much for you." She told him earnestly.

Leonardo was silent. "But she's so young April." He whispered.

"Leo, she's in her last year of University for Anthropology, physical anthroplogy at that. That is not an easy discipline. She's working on a Master's thesis, and according to Donatello she didn't even freak out when she met you. It sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders. She may be younger than you, but she's probably as mature as you." She pointed out. "Girls mature much faster than boys." She said with a smile. "If you love her, just tell her.

Leonardo looked over his shoulder. "Mikey?" He asked. "Are you drunk?"

"Yaharrr!" April heard Michelangelo's voice say. "I be the dread pirate, Green Menace."

"Mikey!" Leonardo growled.

"We're playing pirates Leo, you wanna play?" Michelangelo asked. "Hey is that April, hi April!" Michelangelo said happily to her.

Michelangelo pulled the laptop away from Leonardo. "Mikey are you drunk?" April asked him. He was dressed like a pirate, right down to the tricorn hat, white buttoned shirt, and elaborate blue coat.

Michelangelo seemed to think about it. "Yesh, probably drunk." He said happily. "Sho are you going to play Leo?" Michelangelo asked.

"Play what?" She heard Leonardo's voice ask.

"I told you Kitten and I are pirates. Kitten ish going to kidnap someone, I'll be the guard and if we can convinsh you to play, the other two who are left are going to have to reshcue the kidnapped brotther." Michelangelo said happily.

"But you're drunk. You won't be much of a threat." Leonardo pointed out.

"True, but Kitten's drunk too, but it is more a big game of hide and sheek, you in?" He asked.

Leonardo was silent. "Sure." He said with resignation.

"Yay! Oh, but I think Kitten is going to kidnap Donny cause he's injured and can't be looking all over the house for whoever's kidnapped." He said with a shrug. Sho you have to go to the library with Raph, wait ten minutes then shtart looking." He said with a grin.

Michelangelo turned his attention to April. "Hi April, having a good time?" He asked her.

"I am Mikey, but I'm a little worried about you guys though. How are things there?" She asked him.

Michelangelo seemed to think about the question. "I think we'll be good." He said with a nod.

"You think?" April asked him.

He nodded. "Yup." He said with a smile. "Jusst have to figure out how to do it."

"Do what?" She asked her drunken friend.

"Sshare." He slurred.

"Share what?" April asked with misgiving.

"Here'sh Donny, gotta go April, gotta hide." He said gleefully.

April looked at Donatello's confused face. "What's going on?" Donatello asked her.

"I wish I knew." She said in a faint voice.

A sword appeared at Donatello's throat. He froze in surprise. "I've come for you." A husky voice toned from behind him. Then Donatello moved. The laptop was knocked away.

"Donny!" April screamed in worry. A body was suddenly pushed into the bed.

"Oof." The husky voice said as Donatello pulled off a black mask.

"Kitten?" Donatello asked in surprise. April could see Donatello laying on a woman, an arm pinned above her head.

"You were supposed to come quietly." She said to him huskily.

"Come where, what's going on, and why are you and Mikey dressed as pirates?" Donatello asked the woman.

April knew she had been completely forgotten. She studied the woman pinned beneath Donatello. She was pale, with dark brown eyebrows, laughing green eyes framed by dark lashes and a happy smile. She wore a black, plumed tricorn hat which covered her hair, and a black corset and elaborate green overcoat, with gold braid and buttons. At the moment April worried that Katherine may suffer a wardrobe malfunction. The corset was tight, low, and her chest was heaving. Most likely from scuffling with Donatello.

She smiled. "We're playing pirates and you are my prisoner, at least you were shuposhed to be."

Donatello frowned. "Have you been drinking?" Donatello asked her.

"I'm a pirate, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...or in our case four bottles of wine." She said with a smile. "Are you going to come quietly?" She asked him, voice low and seductive.

April blinked. Her voice was like liquid sex to the ears. But it didn't sound like she was trying to be seductive, it sounded like that was just how her voice was.

Donatello brushed a delicate cheek with his fingers. "I'm not sure yet." He said huskily. "It might be interesting to watch you try to make me come."

_Okay, was that a double entendre she just heard?_ She wondered as she looked at her friend in shock. Was Donatello flirting? Donatello didn't flirt...did he? Donatello was quiet, shy, and bordered on the anti-social. This was a whole new side of Donatello she hadn't even known existed. Although from the slightly confused look in his eyes, she'd say it was a whole side of himself he hadn't known existed either.

It looked like Donatello was in love, and in definite lust. She studied Katherine who was looking at Donatello mischievously.

She smirked. "Just you watch me. Or have you forgotten I still have a sword." She said to him.

He looked up at her hand in confusion. "Which I have." He said to her.

"So you do. I suppose I'll just have to use my other weapon." She said with a wicked grin.

"Yeah and what weapon is that?" He asked her leaning in closer to her.

"This one." She said putting a knife to his throat. He leaned in further, and lightly kissed her anyway.

Donatello reached over to the laptop screen. "Sorry April, I've got to go play pirates." He said huskily as he closed the laptop cutting off their conversation.

"What's the story April? Who's the chick, she's hot." Casey asked her. "Of course you're way hotter babe." Casey hastily put in. But April had to admit the woman was extremely, almost painfully beautiful. "The guys are in love." She said, her mind still reeling in shock.

"That's great!" Casey said happily.

"With the same woman." She finished.

"Not so great. How bad they go it?" Casey asked with concern.

"Pretty bad." She said.

"Even Raph?" Casey asked her.

"He watched Beauty and the Beast with her." April said in a faint voice.

"The cartoon, with the singing and the dancing?"

"That one." April confirmed.

"Ouch."

"Yes, big ouch. Casey we've got to go home." She said with worry.

"April they are 4 grown turtles, I'm sure they can handle it." Casey said trying to calm her down.

"But what if she breaks their hearts?" She asked.

Casey frowned and then nodded. "Fine, we'll be finished in the next few days and then we'll head home. We can spend Christmas with the guys, 'kay babe."

"Thanks Casey." April said relieved.

* * *

LOL, poor April. Anyway hope you all enjoyed, next chapter is a little fluffy too and then I'm going to be a little evil.*smiles* please read and reveiw!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Donatello** closed the laptop on April's shocked face. Katherine looked at him then pushed him back. He helped her to her feet. She sheathed her sword and tucked the knife into her belt. He looked at her. She was wearing her hair tucked into a tricorn hat, some sort of black corset that exposed the tops of her breasts to an alarming degree, a long dark green coat, and a brown skirt which had obviously been a little too long so she had hitched it up pulling the end through the belt she was wearing that also held her sword. Donatello swallowed. She put a finger to her light pink lips and grabbing his hand, pulled him into the bathroom.

"This isn't..." She covered his mouth and closed the door. She looked at the wall behind the door and pushed a flower decoration that made up the trim of the wainscoting. There was a soft click and Katherine pushed at the wall. The wall opened up revealing a hidden passage. She motioned for him to enter. He looked at the darkened passageway dubiously. She gave him a shove and he reluctantly entered. He watched as Katherine pulled the door of the bathroom back against the wall and closed the door of the secret passage.

Once she closed the door he couldn't see anything, it was pitch black. Her felt her take his hand and she began leading him blindly through the passage. He didn't know how she wasn't running into anything but she eventually stopped. "Stairs" She whispered into his ear. He gingerly felt with his foot and realized she was right. She led him down the stairs until she stopped. He heard a handle being turned and a door opening.

She pulled him through the door and he heard the door close behind him. He stood in the dark not daring to move because she had let go of his hand. He heard the clink of glass and the scrape of something and the smell of sulphur. A flame burst to life. The match was placed on a wick and a lamp gave light to the room. Katherine lit another lamp. He looked around the room. "I call it the hidden salon." She said softly.

Rich tapestries were hung on the walls, and the floors were richly carpeted in oriental rugs. There was a dark wood mantle framing a large fireplace along one wall, and several suits of armour lining another. There were several chairs and couches littered around the room.

"Where are we." He asked in a whisper.

"I'm not sure, I think we are actually in the center of the house somehow." She said quietly as she took his hand and sat him down on a richly upholstered gold and cream coloured couch.

"Wait, so you found this the day that I got you to hide behind the door?" He asked.

"Well, I knew about that passage. There are quite a few more scattered around the house." She said with a stretch. He watched as her breasts nearly burst from the confines of her corset. He had never understood the human male fascination with breasts, but now he understood. If he was honest with himself he had never understood the power of the female body until Katherine had tumbled into his life. Now it was all he could do to restrain himself from touching all of her pale velvety skin.

She looked at him, slid from the seat and knelt down in front of him. "Why didn't you want Leonardo to find me in the bathroom anyway?" She asked as she began tracing the skin that ran along his plastron.

"I..." He began but stopped as moved up to straddle him. He swallowed. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I want to touch." She said as she ran her fingers delicately down his arms and down his sides. "I like the feel of your skin." She said softly. "It's an ama...amazing delight to my touch." She said rubbing her cheek across his own cheek.

Donatello swallowed. "Kitten?" He asked.

"Hmm?" She asked as she traced the plates of his plastron.

"How much have you had to drink?" He asked her.

"No idea." She told him candidly. "But I'm pretty sure Michelangelo drank way more than me." She frowned. "But I did try all of the bottles, and they were soooo yummy. And I don't even like wine. I don't drink either." She smiled. "But it's kinda fun." She buried her face in his neck. "You smell nice." She whispered huskily.

"Kitten..." He pulled her from his neck.

"You're right no more touching." She said to him. Part of him was relieved, the other part of him was screaming in frustration. He wanted to be touched, he just didn't want her to regret anything when she sobered.

"I want to taste you." She whispered to him.

He obeyed.

He claimed her mouth in a searing kiss. She tasted like sweet wine and honey, her warm soft lips moving against his. Her tongue swept across his tongue and he shuddered in need. He pulled her closer, plastering her against his body. She teased and plundered his mouth in a way that left him craving more. He lay her down on the couch covering her with his own body. His hand went for the band of her pants and he stopped himself as he realized what he had been about to do.

He pulled away from her kiss. She always made him forget that he wasn't human. Which seemed ridiculous, but it was true. When he was with her he forgot that he was different, that he was _other_. He craved her kiss, needed her touch, but...he wasn't human, in more ways than one.

"Why do you hate yourself so much?" She asked him as he sat up pulling her with him.

Denial leapt to his lips but he shook his head and blew out a breath. "I never really thought about what I was." He said softly. "I mean, of course I am a mutant turtle in a world of humans, but I had other things to worry about, other interests to pursue rather than sit around and contemplate what I was in the grand scheme of the world. I never thought about any of that until I met you, and then suddenly, it was as if my world had become a sad shadow of what my life _could_ be." He finished quietly.

She touched his cheek gently and nodded. "Never be ashamed or embarrassed or sorry for who and what you are Donatello." She said gently. "Come on, we should get going." She said standing up.

"Go where?" He asked in confusion.

"Well, we can't have them think we're cheating, even though we aren't because we are still in the house, but we have to let them find us." She wavered slightly on her feet holding her arms out like she was balancing. "Uh oh." She said as she closed her eyes. She opened them. "Nope, still good." She said as she waited for him to get up.

"Let's go." She said blowing out the lamps and plunging them into darkness. "Kitten how drunk are you?" He asked quietly as she led him out of the room, and through a winding passage.

"Not quite falling down drunk, but give me a few more minutes and I will probably reach that point." She said quietly. "I can actually feel myself getting drunker as we speak, kinda interesting actually."

They emerged back into the light of the bathroom. "Kay out." She said pushing him out of the bathroom. "Hafta pee." He stood looking at the bathroom door. He wondered if he should make sure she was okay. He heard the toilet flush, and the tap turn on. She opened the door."Oaky hafta hide." Her words were beginning to jumble. She grabbed his hand and looked down the hallway. She walked down to the end of the hall and opened a door at the end which he had always thought was a linen closet. He looked at the narrow wooden steps that led down.

* * *

**Raphael** crouched beside the fridge. He had found Michelangelo which hadn't been that hard. He frowned looking at his sleeping brother. He wondered how much Katherine had had to drink. He and Leonardo had searched the whole damn house and could find no sign of them which made him think they were sneaking around. So he had decided to plant himself and lie in wait for them to stumble upon him.

Raphael heard a click and watched Katherine and Donatello emerged into the kitchen from a door he hadn't even noticed. She walked over and glanced behind the counter. "Well, we know where Michelangelo is." She said pointing to his sleeping brother. His sai went under Katherine's neck. "Found you Kitten." Raphael's voice growled out huskily. Her arm went back and wrapped itself around his neck, a knife at his throat. Raphael blinked in surprise.

"You have to watch that knife of hers Raph, she's pretty handy with it." Donatello told him.

Raphael looked at him in concern. "How you feeling Donny?" He asked him. "You're looking a little flushed, was this too much for you, do you need help back to your room?" He asked as Leonardo walked in, swords drawn.

Leonardo took in the scene and sheathed his swords.

Donatello frowned. "No I feel...good." He said looking at his shoulder. "But I think I have to go lay down now." Donatello said as the blood slowly drained from his face.

"I'll give you a hand Donny." Leonardo said giving Raphael a glare.

Katherine's back was pressed into Raphael's chest, his one arm across her chest, the other across her waist pulling her into him possessively.

"Katherine?" Donatello asked her as she looked at him questioningly. "Who do you love?" He asked her quietly.

She looked at Donatello. Leonardo froze and Raphael tried to see Katherine's face from where he held her. He could see her smile. She put her arms up breaking his hold on her. She put an arm across his shoulder. "I love Raphael." She said with a big grin as Raphael looked at her in shock. She then grabbed Leonardo who was within reach and pulled him close. "And I love Leonardo." She lifted her arms off their shoulders and walked over to Donatello. "And I love You." She said throwing her arm around him giving him a hug. She let him go and hopped up on the counter. "I love you too Michelangelo, even though you are completely passed out and can't hear me."

"Okay Kitten." Raphael said as he lifted her off the counter. She giggled.

"You can't ask her something like that right now Donny. She's in the 'I love everyone' drunk stage." Raphael told him as he held her up. She leaned against Raphael's shoulder.

"Am not." She said defiantly. "I still don't like Bobby Harper. He told me in grade 9 that my boobs made me look fat." She grabbed her breasts. ""My boobs don't make me look fat do they?" She asked Leonardo.

Leonardo looked at her breasts and shook his head.

"Kitten what the hell are you wearing?" Raphael growled. "You're practically falling out."

She looked down at herself and shrugged. "It's not my fault they didn't wear bras in the 1600's, couldn't figure out the underwear either." She said with a frown. "I'm not sure they actually wore any." She said shaking her head.

Raphael closed his eyes. "Please tell me you're wearing underwear." He said in a strained voice.

She frowned as if she was thinking hard. She moved her hips unintentionally grinding against him. "Nope. Must have forgot when I couldn't figure out the layers that were supposed to go on under this skirt." She said pulling at her skirt which was at the moment slightly higher than mid-thigh at the front. "There were a lot of layers. I probably could have figured it out if I wasn't drunk." She said wrapping an arm around his neck. She leaned her face into his neck. "You smell so good Raphael." She whispered too softly for any to hear but him.

"Time for you to sleep it off I think." Leonardo said to her.

She shook her head. "No." She said bluntly.

Raphael looked down at her and she looked up at him. He knew she was thinking that she wasn't going to risk going to sleep.

"Hey Kitten." He said tilting her head to look at him. "You'll be fine." He whispered.

She stared at him intently. "No." She refused.

"Fine then let's get you sobered up." He said to her.

She nodded. Her eyes went to Michelangelo. She pulled away from Raphael and walked over to him. She knelt down and rifled through his pocket. "Ha!" She said triumphantly as she pulled out a black scrap of fabric. She stood up. "Perv." She said with a smile nudging Michelangelo with her foot. Michelangelo cracked an eye, grinned slightly and closed it again.

She turned and looked at Donatello with concern. "Are you okay, you are looking really pale?" She asked him.

Donatello shook his head.

"You shouldn't have dragged him out of bed." Leonardo said as he rounded on her angrily.

"No Leo, just, it's my fault." Donatello said softly.

"It's not your fault Donny, she shouldn't have pulled you out of bed so soon. It's only been just over a week since you were shot!" Leonardo exclaimed in worry.

"Leo, leave it." Donatello growled.

"No, I'm not leaving it." Leonardo yelled as he grabbed Katherine by the arm.

"Whoa." She said as Leonardo began pulling Katherine from the kitchen.

"Get Donny to bed Raph, Katherine and I are going to have a talk." Leonardo ordered as he pulled her from the room.

Rage ripped through Raphael as his watched Leonardo manhandle Katherine. He was about to go after Leonardo until he glanced at Donatello's face which was looking grey.

"Jeez Donny." He said as he supported his brother leading him to his bedroom.

"I'm fine Raph, really, go get Kitten, Leo is going to rip a strip off of her for no reason."

"Kitten can take care of herself Donny. You need to rest." Raphael said to his injured brother.

* * *

**Leonardo** dragged Katherine into the library. He was so angry he could barely speak.

"Sit down...now." He ground out through clenched teeth.

She hopped up on the desk crossing her legs. Her skirt had ridden up even further. He looked away from her. "And put your underwear on."

He heard a sigh and the thump of a knee high boot hitting the floor followed by another.

"Alright, I am appropriately attired now. You may now commence ripping a strip off me." She said to him.

His angry gaze flashed to hers. He was expecting mockery, but instead she looked at him seriously. He frowned and remained silent.

"Fine I've changed my mind." She said suddenly. He looked at her in surprise.

"I don't need you to tear a strip off me, and I'm not going to stand here and have you do it Leonardo." She said to him jumping off the desk.

"Sit down, now." He growled. "You should not have..." He began.

"I know Leonardo. I do not need to sit here and listen to you tell me I shouldn't have dragged him out of bed. I'm sorry, but the one I should be apologizing to is him, not you." She growled back at him.

He glared down at her. She stood looking at him defiantly. He stepped towards her pinning her between the desk and his body. "Why do you let him touch you so much Katherine?" He asked angrily.

She looked at him in confusion at his change of subject. "Wait, is this why you are so angry, because you are jealous of Raphael?" She asked him in shock.

"I am not jealous of Raphael." He growled back at her.

She looked at him, emotions were warring within her eyes, but he couldn't identify them.

"Why do you always lie to me Leonardo?" She asked softly as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Her forehead touched his shoulder as she slumped forward.

He managed to catch her before she slumped to the ground. His shoulders sagged in defeat as he swung her up in his arms. "Because you strip me bare of all of my defences." He said to her unconscious form. "I am jealous of Raph. All you and I do is fight, mostly because I am being an ass, but I love you too much to want you to live such a life as what being with me would give you." He said to her softly. He strode from the library and took her upstairs to her room. He lay her down on the bed. He pulled off her skirt jacket and corset. It was hard getting her undressed because she was just dead weight, but he managed. He looked down at her naked body as lust coursed through him. He shook himself and unbuttoned his shirt and put it on her. It was easier than trying to find her pj's and then dressing her.

"Goodnight Kitten. I'm sorry I yelled. You are right again, you should apologize to Donatello, not be yelled at by me." He looked at her sleeping face, brushing a stray strand of white hair out of the way. "Why do you always have to show me all of my faults?" He asked her as he gently kissed her velvety cheek.

He gave her one last look before he left, closing the door gently behind him.

He went back to the kitchen to grab something for dinner since they had missed it by playing pirates. Michelangelo was no longer in the kitchen so either he had woken up by himself or Raphael had moved him. He made himself a sandwich and ate it. He walked back upstairs to check and see if Donatello needed anything. He found his brother sleeping soundly. He went back to the library where he read for a few more hours.

Raphael peeked into the library. "Geez Leo, how long did you yell at Kitten for, I haven't seen her for hours." He said angrily.

"I didn't yell at her." He said softly. "She very reasonably pointed out that I had no right to yell at her and that she had to apologize to Donny, not me." He said with a sigh.

Raphael frowned. "So she's with Donny?" He asked.

"No, she passed out right after she told me I was basically being an ass. I put her to bed," He looked at the clock. "Around three hours ago." Raphael paled. "Are you okay Raph?" Leonardo looked at his brother in concern.

"Huh? Uh sure Leo, peachy, it's just been a long day, and with Donny not looking so good... Anyway just came to say goodnight." He said as he turned and left the room quickly.

Leonardo looked at his brother and frowned. He lay down his book and followed his brother a few minutes later.

* * *

**Raphael** shouted in his head_. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! _ He raced up the stairs and opened the door to Katherine's room. He looked at her curled up and sleeping soundly. He let out a sigh of relief and a growl of frustration. He knew he hadn't fooled Leonardo one bit which meant that he was going to have to leave her alone for, at the very least, another hour until Leonardo stopped watching him and went to bed.

He wanted to just stay and tell Leonardo to get stuffed, but he and Katherine had been very careful not to let his brothers know they were sleeping with each other at night. He hadn't liked the idea, but if his brothers knew he was sleeping next to her each night, not only would it hurt them, which he was oddly loathe to do until Katherine agreed to become his girlfriend, but she pointed out to him that if they knew, they would keep pushing for the reason _why_. And Katherine had pointed out that not only was what they had shared private, it would also hurt Donatello. Unfortunately he couldn't argue with her logic. It would devastate Donatello to know that the night he woke up, she had nearly lost her life.

Raphael growled and grimly left her room gently closing the door behind him. He couldn't see Leonardo but he knew his brother was there. So he went and checked on Donatello, who was sleeping, and then Michelangelo, who he had dragged to his room in a half conscious stupor. Michelangelo was also soundly sleeping. He then walked into his room, pulled his shirt over his head, pulled off his pants, and changed into his sweats.

He curled up on his bed determined to wait Leonardo out.

_Kaethryn stood by a window. The light streamed brightly through the narrow opening. She was looking right at him. He frowned, her image flickered to Katherine and back again. "They're going to kill us." Kaethryn said softly._

_"I...I know, I saw." Raphael stammered._

_"No. **They** are going to kill us." Her image flickered to Katherine and back again._

_Raphael frowned in confusion._

_"We are Fated." She said softly looking over her shoulder towards the window._

_It was then Raphael realized she wasn't looking at the window, there was something in the shadows. A tall figure emerged behind Kaethryn whose image changed to Katherine. A Scythe appeared at her throat. A six foot skeleton stood behind her. Katherine closed her eyes and leaned into him. The figure of Death grabbed her around the waist pulling her towards him. His black robes swirled around him, grey wings wrapping possessively around her._

_"They are close." Kaethryn whispered from beside him._

_"Who are **They**?" Raphael asked in desperate horror. "Who are **They**?" He screamed._

_But the dream broke, the afterimage of a different card seared into his brain._

Raphael's eyes snapped open. He sat up wide awake, horror crawling down his skin.

He was drenched in sweat. He had no idea how long he had been sleeping and he didn't care. He ran from his room and burst into Katherine's. She sat up and looked towards him.

Relief washed through him. He gently closed the door and strode to the bed. He grabbed her and clutched her tightly to him.

"Raphael are you okay? You're covered in sweat." She whispered in concern.

Raphael tried to slow his breathing, slow his pounding heart, but he couldn't.

"I'm here Raphael. I'm okay." Katherine said gently into his neck. He didn't know how long he clutched her to him before he was finally able to pull away.

"I love you Katherine. I love you too much to let you go, understand?" He growled at her. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He vowed to her.

She touched his cheek gently. "I love you too Raphael." She said softly. "But..." She began.

He shook his head violently. "I don't care. I'm not asking for anything, not right now, but just...I love you." He said kissing her roughly.

"Shhh Raphael, it was a nightmare." She said to him after he released her lips.

"I know. I know." He said closing his eyes.

He lay down in the bed and pulled her in close. He frowned as he looked at what she was wearing.

"Why are you wearing Leo's shirt?" He asked angrily.

"I'm guessing he put it on me." She said with a sleepy shrug as she buried herself deeper into him.

"That bastard!" He growled. "He undressed you."

"Must have." She said sleepily yawning.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Can you kill him later? I'm trying to sleep." She said twining her fingers through the ties of his mask as she pulled his body closer to hers.

He sighed kissing the top of her head. He looked into her face. He loved her, and she loved him. He knew there was a 'but' in there and he had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with his brothers. He felt jealousy roll through him. He closed his eyes. All that mattered was that she loved him. He would deal with the 'but' later, he didn't care. April had made it sound so easy, but he knew with Katherine nothing was ever going to be easy.

He gently began to drift to sleep, the horror of the nightmare beginning to fade.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! In the next chapter things are going to get interesting.=)


	19. Chapter 19

I just had to finish and post this next chapter. I am so excited about what is going to happen. (hmm am I allowed to be excited? Well I am. I want to know what everyone thinks!)

Thank you, thank you so much to Forgottenforever and MidnightRaine for your awesome reviews! I appreciate them so much! It's what keeps me going as I write this =)

Alrighty all, I am throwing in a twist enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 19

**Katherine** woke up and stretched. Raphael groaned. She smiled. He was really not a morning person at all.

"Good morning." She whispered.

"The only thing good about it is waking up next to you." Raphael said opening his eyes and looking at her.

She smirked. "Nice one." She said rolling off the bed out of his reach.

Raphael groaned. "You are too cruel Kitten." He said to her.

She chuckled softly as Raphael rolled over to go back to sleep. She wondered what the dream had been that had frightened Raphael so much. Raphael didn't seem to be scared of anything, but something in that dream had bothered him. She shrugged. She quickly got dressed, brushed her teeth and headed out of the room to apologize to Donatello and give Leonardo his shirt back. He had undressed her and although she should have been angry at him she knew that they had all already seen her naked, so it was rather a moot point. But still...

She walked down the hallway and heard a moan. She frowned. She walked back a few steps and put her ear to Michelangelo's door. She heard a moan again.

She opened the door and peeked in. Michelangelo was sitting up in bed clutching his head. She smirked.

"I told you not to go for that last bottle of wine Michelangelo." She said as he glared at her.

"Kitten you are talking way too loud." He whispered.

She walked over to the bed and touched his cheek lightly. "Poor poor Michelangelo." She said sympathetically.

"Why aren't you hung-over?" He asked.

She shrugged. She felt fine. "I have no idea, I'm not going to complain though." She looked at his miserable face.

"I'll see if I can wrestle you up a hangover cure alright?" She said to him. "Right now the best thing you can do is start drinking some water." She said walking into the bathroom and grabbing a glass of water for him.

He took the offered glass and began drinking. "I'll be right back." She said gently.

She passed by Donatello's room and decided she would help Michelangelo first and then go check on Donatello.

She ran down to the library as she remembered there was a book called _Recipe's and Cure-alls, _dated 1811, but she figured it was worth a shot.

She managed to find a hangover cure, found all of the ingredients, mixed it and managed to pour it down Michelangelo's throat all in a relatively short amount of time.

Katherine left Michelangelo to get some more sleep and walked gingerly into Donatello's room.

She looked at his sleeping form suspiciously. She pulled back the curtains letting light stream into the room. "How are you feeling Donatello?" She asked him.

He opened his eyes and looked at her miserably.

"I am so sorry Donatello, I didn't realize you were not up to walking around so much." She said softly sitting on the edge of his bed.

"No, Katherine, don't apologize. Please, please don't apologize." He said desperately.

Katherine frowned at him, but her attention was caught by her laptop which was making an odd noise. She frowned as Donatello looked at the laptop. He grabbed it and opened it up. He began scanning whatever was on the screen. "Someone's broken into the lair." He said with surprise. "But, I can't make out who or what it is." He said with a frown as he began typing frantically.

Donatello looked at her worriedly. She leapt up. "I'll get everyone up." She said as she rushed from the room.

She ran back to her room and woke Raphael up. She told him what was going on and pushed him out of her room as she burst into Leonardo's room.

She heard the scrape of metal on metal as she skidded to a halt before she barrelled into Leonardo. She looked at his swords. "Don't tell me you actually sleep with those." She said in surprise as he looked at her in shock.

Leonardo sheathed his swords. "Oh God, Donny." He said paling.

"No Leonardo, it's the lair, someone's broke in." She said to him touching his arm lightly.

* * *

**Donatello **watched as Leonardo strode into his room followed by Raphael and Michelangelo a few minutes later.

"What do you mean you don't know who it is?" Raphael growled.

"The inner alarm's been tripped but I can't make out who has tripped the alarm. There are just indistinct shapes. The camera can't seem to pick up what it is." Donatello said his fingers flying across the keys.

"Kitten look after Donny, we've got to check this out." Leonardo ordered.

'I'm coming Leo." Donatello said to him.

"Donny, you are in no condition..." Leonardo began.

"I'm the only one who can reset the security system and I can't do it remotely." Donatello said to him insistently.

Leonardo looked like he wanted to argue, but couldn't.

"You had better get moving." Katherine said to them.

Leonardo nodded as he strode from the room to get ready to go.

Katherine looked at Donatello after Raphael and Michelangelo left the room. "Do you need any help?" She asked him.

He shook his head. She nodded as she left him to get dressed.

They were ready within minutes. Katherine walked with them to the front door. Raphael had already pulled the truck out from the garage and it sat idling out front.

"Be careful." She told them.

They all froze and looked at her as if they just realized that they were leaving. "We'll be back Kitten." Michelangelo said happily as he lifted her up of her feet in an exuberant hug.

She laughed. "I'm glad the hangover cure worked Michelangelo." She said to him as he put her down.

"I feel much better." He said happily leaning in for a kiss. Raphael pushed Michelangelo out of the way.

"Raph!" Michelangelo complained.

"Shell for brains is right, we ain't done yet, we'll be back."

"I know, a week before Christmas." She said to him as he stood close to her. He looked at her and frowned.

"We're spending Christmas here!"Michelangelo said with excitement. "There's going to be decorations and a tree and dinner and presents!" Michelangelo said excitedly.

"Michelangelo." Leonardo growled.

"Already said yes Leo, can't back out now." Michelangelo said to Leonardo

"He's right Leo." Raphael said over his shoulder. "We haven't had a Christmas in two years. I think it's time, besides, we can't let Kitten spend Christmas alone." He said lifting her chin slightly with his fingers. He leaned in and kissed her.

She pulled back and looked at him in shock. He grinned down at her. "I know, there is some sort of 'but' hanging around, but I still wanted to kiss you." He said softly to her.

"Raph." Michelangelo complained.

"Hey Mikey you snooze you lose. Be careful Kitten." He said to her as she nodded.

Donatello looked away from his brother kissing Katherine. He felt miserable.

She walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Take care of yourself." She said to him softly.

He nodded. "You too." He whispered as a feeling of wrongness rode over him.

She looked at Leonardo. "Leonardo?" She questioned. He grabbed her arm in a grip of steel. She looked up at him in shock. Leonardo was furious. He could see the anger rolling around in his brother's eyes making his already dark brown eyes darker, almost black. "Be careful." She said to him. Leonardo closed his eyes and gave a curt nod letting her arm go.

Donatello looked at the door. He wanted to get away as fast as he could but each step he took towards the open door felt like he was dragging lead weights instead of his feet.

He stopped at the door's threshold and felt as if he actually couldn't step through the doorway. He looked at the door in shock and confusion. It felt as if he had hit a barrier of some sort, something he couldn't see.

"Come on Donny, we gotta go." Raphael said as he pushed him through the doorway.

Donatello walked towards the truck and it felt as if he was walking through molasses. He looked back at the house and Katherine standing in the doorway. He wasn't supposed to leave. He knew this with a certainty but he couldn't even begin to explain why.

He and his brothers got into their truck and as they drove away Donatello felt as if a cord that was attached to him was being pulled too tight and stretched too thin. It didn't hurt, but it was not a comfortable sensation. But that was okay, it just added to the misery he was experiencing at the moment.

* * *

**Katherine **watched as the brothers got into the truck and drove away. She closed the door and walked to the library. She picked up the card that lay on the desk, the one that had been tossed into the fire. "So once I can finally see you clearly, does my carriage turn back into a pumpkin?" She asked the dark figure standing beside her. He remained silent, not like she was expecting an answer anyway. She looked at the laptop that now sat on the desk and looked back at the card in her hand.

* * *

**Raphael **frowned. "I don't like this Leo." Raphael said to his older brother who was silently fuming in the passenger seat while he sat in back with Donatello, Michelangelo was driving. Raphael didn't like the thought of leaving Katherine alone. He worried, even though she hadn't had a nightmare since the night Donatello woke up. But something was bothering him. He had had a dream last night but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it had been about except Katherine had been in it, it had been a nightmare and there had been a card, but not the one that followed Katherine around the house. This one was different.

"We are going to protect our home Raph, or have you forgotten that we don't live with Katherine." Leonardo spat out.

"Hey if you weren't such a stick in the mud you could have been the one to kiss her." Raphael pointed out just to piss his brother off even more.

Leonardo turned in his seat to glare at him. "We aren't going back." He told them.

"Yes we are Leo."Michelangelo said angrily. "I promised Kitten that we would be spending Christmas with her. If you want, you can stay home if it is that hard for you."

They looked in shock at Michelangelo who never got angry.

"Miky's right, we should spend as much time with Kitten as we can." Donatello said softly.

"Donny..." Leonardo began, but the look of absolute and total misery on Donatello's face stopped him. "Donny are you..." He began.

"I'm fine." Donatello told him.

"Donny." Leonardo tried again gently.

"I'm fine Leo, that's the problem. I AM FINE!" He shouted in agony.

He pulled off his jacket and threw it to the floor. He then ripped off his shirt.

"Donny, Donny, you need to calm down bro." Raphael said to him in worry.

He looked at them desperatley, Michelangelo looking at him in the rear-view mirror. He ripped the bandages off his shoulder and chest. "How many decades off her life, how much damage did she do to her soul to do this?" He said pointing to his shoulder.

Raphael looked in shock at Donatello's shoulder. There was a scar that ran from where the bullet had struck the flesh just above the center of his body, across his chest to his left shoulder where the scar was large and jagged, but completely healed.

"Don't you get it, not only did she drag me back from the brink of death, but she managed to make me heal at an extraordinary rate. This past week my shoulder has been excruciatingly itchy. I figured it was healing, which it was, but I wasn't expecting this! I didn't notice until yesterday. Kitten scared the crap out of me when she tried to 'kidnap' me. I didn't think, I just reacted. I grabbed her and threw her down. I used both arms, and I didn't even realize it until you asked me in the kitchen how I was. When I went to my room I checked the wound and discovered this." He said softly. "This wound," He moved his shoulder around. "I shouldn't even be able to move my shoulder." He said quietly. "And I'm not just talking about the rate of healing, I'm talking about at all, as in ever again. Judging by the scars, I had extensive muscle damage. I should have completely lost the use of this arm. For life." He said miserably. "But I am fine, I have healed perfectly with only a scar to show that anything happened." Donatello finished as everyone in the truck fell into a dread filled silence.

Raphael felt the blood drain from his face as he looked at his brothers who all wore the same expression of shocked devastation. Raphael closed his eyes. _How long did she have left?_ He wondered.

Raphael put a comforting hand on Donatello's shoulder. "It's not your fault Donny." Raphael whispered. "I don't think she did anything she couldn't handle. I don't know what's going on, and I hate supernatural crap, but Kitten seems to be buried up to her neck in it."

Donatello nodded slowly, but was obviously not comforted.

They nodded as they sat in silence for the rest of the drive to the lair.

* * *

**Leonardo **looked at his brothers."Okay, I want you all to remain focused. Whoever it is, may or may not still be in there, and whatever it is, it isn't being picked up by Donny's security cameras" Leonardo said to his brothers as they slowly drove and parked just outside the lair.

He glanced at Raphael and felt jealous anger roll through him. He tried to ignore it, but refused to be silenced. They were all in love with her, but she seemed to prefer Raphael. Of course she would prefer Raphael to himself. All he had done was avoid her and yell at her. He grimaced. He had hoped he would be able to convince his brothers to leave Katherine alone, but now they were roped into spending Christmas with her. He wouldn't be able to stand a week of having to watch Raphael touch the woman he loved. But he had ignored April's advice just to talk to her, instead he yelled at her...again. And then the one moment when he had grabbed her arm after Raphael had kissed her, he could have asked her to be with him, but he couldn't speak through the jealous anger that had choked him.

But Katherine's look of shock when Raphael had kissed her gave him pause. He took it to mean that either it was the first time he had ever kissed her, or if he had kissed her before, nothing had been settled between them. "Raph, you're with me, Mikey and Donny go left, be silent, be alert." He said as Michelangelo entered first.

"Is she your girlfriend Raph?" Leonardo quietly asked Raphael before they entered to begin their sweep.

Raphael looked at him in surprise. "I'm not sure Leo, but we're _something." _His brother said softly. Leonardo nodded because he didn't trust himself to speak. He motioned for his brother to follow him. They slowly began checking each room thoroughly. They met up at Donatello's lab. They all looked at each other giving negative shakes of thier heads.

"Didn't find anything." Raphael said shaking his head.

Donatello frowned. "The lair seems to be empty and I can't find anything disturbed. So perhaps the sensor was tripped due to a mechanical failure?" Donatello said typing at his computer. "After all, the outer perimeter alarms weren't tripped."

Something hit the floor and rolled, there was a muffled noise and the sound of closing doors. They went silent as they looked at a piece of scrap metal that had fallen to the floor and a large storage cabinet. Leonardo put his finger to his lips and motioned for his brothers to surround the cabinet.

Leonardo sheathed a sword and reached out pulling the door of the cabinet open quickly. He raised his sword but lowered it as he saw two small figures huddled in the corner clutching each other and crying silently. He couldn't tell much about them other than both little girls were so blonde their hair looked almost white, both faces being buried into each other.

"Holy crap it's a couple of kids." Raphael said in surprise.

Leonardo quickly sheathed his weapon and knelt down. "It's okay we won't hurt you." He said gently.

He heard a sniff. "Daddy?" A small frightened voice asked as she lifted her head and looked at him.

"Sorry, I'm not your..." He began waiting for terror to fill her eyes, but instead, absolute relief filled the child's eyes and she leapt at him.

"Daddy!" She yelled with joy as she hit him in the chest in a ferocious hug that knocked him down.

He looked at the small figure that had latched onto him with relief.

"Whoa, that kid needs to get her eyes checked or something." Raphael said with a surprised shake of his head.

"Daddy?" The other girl asked. Her face lit up. "Daddy!" She shouted in joy.

"Incoming Leo." Raphael said with a smirk as the other girl launched herself at Raphael. He stumbled back as she hit him in the legs. They fell to the ground in a heap.

Raphael looked at him in shock and Leonardo had no doubt that the same look of shock was on his face as well.

* * *

LOL Sooo...tell me what you think! =)


	20. Chapter 20

Alrighty all, for everyone curious on who the girls are...well this chapter doesn't really help, but I thought it was rather funny anyway! Please enjoy and thank you, thank you to Forgottenforever, MidnightRaine and rinpup14 for your reviews! You all inspire me to write faster! LOL

* * *

Chapter 20

**Leonardo** looked at the little girl in his lap.

Michelangelo burst out laughing. "You should see the look on your faces." He said barely able to talk through his laughter.

The little girl looked at him. "Daddy we didn't mean to." Both girls said in unison. "We know Daddy Donny said not to play with Magi but we weren't it was all Trick and Treat's fault and then we were lost and we didn't know where we were and it smells funny and we were so scared!" They wailed. "Can we go home now?" They whimpered.

He looked at Raphael who looked as confused as he did. The little girl looked to be about 4 or 5 years old with long white blonde hair, pale delicate skin and big green eyes framed by dark lashes. He looked at the little girl in Raphael's lap who looked identical but her eyes were a rich honey brown. They both wore matching purple floral patterned yukata with tabi socks.

"Um...I'm not your father." He said gently to the little girl. "But we will try to get you and your sister? Home as soon as we can, okay?"

The little girl looked at him as if he was crazy. But she frowned as she studied his face. She grabbed his face in two tiny hands and looked at him. "Daddy how'd you get your eye back?" She questioned. "And where are all your scars?" She asked him. "And your wrinkles?" She asked him.

"Mommy says they aren't wrinkles, they are just experience lines." The girl sitting in Raphael's lap said to her.

"Yeah but daddy doesn't have them." The girl sitting in his lap told her.

The other girl frowned. She lifted up Raphael's shirt. "Daddy doesn't have his scars either. And look, mommy's mark isn't there." She said tapping Raphael's plastron right over his heart.

The little girls stood up and looked at Donatello. They walked over to him. They grabbed the sleeves of his shirt pulling them up. "Daddy Donny's not all scarred up either." They frowned at each other.

"Daddy what's going on?" The green eyed girl asked him. He stood up slowly and looked at his brothers in shock.

"Do you have any idea what's going on Leo?" Raphael asked him getting to his feet.

Leonardo shook his head. He was completely lost. "What are your names?" Leonardo said as he knelt down again.

"Daddy." The green eyed girl said to him.

"Just humour me." He said to her.

She rolled her eyes. "Starbright." She said to him.

"Okay...um... Starbright." He said in surprise. "And what's your name?" He asked the brown eyed girl.

"Starlight." She said quietly. She seemed like the more quiet of the two.

"Sounds like some sort of hippy names." Raphael mumbled. Leonardo frowned at his brother.

"Starlight and Starbright." They nodded. "Okay." He said. "Can you tell me your daddy's name?" He asked hoping they would actually be able to supply him with a name. He was trying to ignore what Starbright had said moments ago about their physical appearance.

"Daddy." Starbright said with a whine. She huffed out a breath. Starlight had inched her way back to Raphael and was now pressed against his leg hiding behind it. "My daddy is Leonardo." She said crossing her arms.

Leonardo swallowed, he could feel himself paling. "And my daddy is Raphael." Starlight said from the security of Raphael's leg.

Leonardo frowned in confusion. "We're twins." They announced together.

"Um, Donny?" Leonardo looked at his brother in confusion.

"You're not mad at us are you Daddy Donny?" They asked Donatello. "We're really sorry, but we were only playing hide and seek. It was Trick and Treat who were playing with Magi." They said to him. They turned their attention to Michelangelo. "Daddy Mikey are Trick and Treat in trouble? They should be in trouble." They said to him.

Michelangelo blinked in shock. "Huh?" He said.

Donatello knelt down. "Why are you calling Mikey and me daddy as well?" He asked them.

"Cause you are all our daddies." They said together. They looked at each other. "Mommy says that my _real _daddy is Leonardo. Daddy Donny says that I'm bio...bio something-ly Daddy Leonardo's daughter and Starlight is bio somthing-ly, Daddy Raphael's daughter. But then mommy tells Daddy Donny to stop confusing us with big words. " Starbright said with a shrug.

"But you're twins." Leonardo pointed out. They looked at him as if wondering why this mattered so much. "Right okay...umm." Leonardo was at a loss.

"Are you sure they are our daddies, they seem very...lost." Starlight said to Starbright.

"They have to be." She said. "They look like our daddies, well 'cept for the scars, and they smell like our daddies and they have the same light." Starbright said.

"But they dress funny." Starlight pointed out.

"But they have the same masks and the same weapons as our daddies." Starbright pointed out. They looked at each other and it looked as if they began having a private conversation that only they could hear.

Starbright nodded. "You're right." She said and then yawned.

They looked at Leonardo as if expecting something of him. "Well, how about you and Starlight go with um...Daddy Mikey and Daddy Raph and go to the living room and we'll be right there."

Leonardo said ushering them out of Donatello's work room.

He looked at Donatello desperately. "Okay Donny any theories you want to give?"

Donatello shook his head. "Honestly I think they are just two very lost very frightened, very confused little girls. Most of what they said didn't even make sense." He walked over to his computer and began typing. "I'm going to check all of the police data bases for any missing children matching their description. Also, maybe I had better check international ones too, they talk with an accent I've never heard before." He said with a frown.

"But Donny." Leonardo said to him.

"I know Leo, I know, they know our names and they are very insistent, but...it's just not possible Leo. Those two little girls would have had to have come from where, the future?" Donatello shook his head. "The mechanics and physics alone would be almost impossible to gather and to formulate, not to mention the ethics of creating such a device." Donatello said with a wave of his hand."The whole time travel possibility aside, there is no way we can reproduce. And even if we could, the only way those little girls could be born twins with two separate fathers is if they were fraternal not maternal twins, which I will admit, is most likely due to the difference in their eye colour. So if they are indeed fraternal twins it would mean that the fathers would both have had to have been with their mother either at the same time or within hours of each other. How likely do you suppose that event would be?" Donatello asked him. "And besides all that, those little girls are human. There is no way that we would be able to father human children, if we were even able to father children, which we aren't." Donatello sighed. "When they calm down they will be able to tell us the name of their parents, or maybe they could tell us where they live, like a landmark or something, and somehow we will get them home." He said returning his attention to the screen.

Leonardo nodded and walked to the living room where Starlight was curled up and sleeping on Raphael's lap, while Strabright was curled up and sleeping on Michelangelo's.

"They must have been exhausted." Leonardo said quietly looking at Raphael's face which was a mixture of horror, confusion and some other emotion Leonardo couldn't identify. Michelangelo was having a hard time not laughing at Raphael's uncomfortable look.

"Let's move them to my room, we'll put them there until they wake up." He said.

Raphael nodded and tried to move but Starlight opened her eyes with a frown. Raphael froze. She looked at Raphael in relief and smiled at him contentedly. "I love you daddy." She said softly as she snuggled into Raphael's shoulder.

Want mixed with need, mixed with despair passed over Raphael's face so quickly Leonardo wasn't even sure he actually saw the emotions, but Michelangelo wasn't laughing anymore, he was looking at the sleeping girl in his arms.

Michelangelo stood up and gently gave Starbright to him. He blinked in shock. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She yawned. "Morning daddy." She said as she fell back asleep. He closed his eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll get you home and back to your daddy." He promised her.

Leonardo sat down on the couch beside Raphael. He looked at his brother. "Think we'll be able to find their parents?" Raphael asked.

"I hope so." Leonardo said to him. The problem was that the little girls obviously adored their father. He didn't really think that they had two separate fathers. They had each probably picked one of them to attach themselves to and had just chosen Raphael and himself since they were the ones standing closest to the cabinet doors. He and Raphael did look alike, they all did. To the human eye they probably all looked the same. Leonardo frowned wondering if Katherine would be able to tell them apart without their masks on. But then he remembered that she had known each of them before she had even set eyes on them. She remembered what each of them had smelled like and sounded like. Leonardo closed his eyes.

Leonardo wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep but he was woken up by two voices complaining that they were hungry.

"Daddy we're hungry." Starlight and Starbright complained to Leonardo and Raphael.

The little girls had grabbed their hands and were pulling them off the couch. "Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up." Leonardo said as they all walked into the kitchen.

"I grabbed some pizza." Michelangelo said putting four boxes of pizza on the table. "We are going to need to get to April's shop and grab any groceries the delivery guy has left, cause we are out of food." He said opening a pizza box.

The girls looked at the pizza. "Pizza!" They said happily.

Michelangelo dished out some pizza for the girls. They happily ate and were just finishing their slices when Donatello walked in.

He walked over to the table. "Girls I was wondering if maybe you could tell me where you live. Do you remember the name of the city you are from?" He asked gently.

The girls frowned in thought then shook their heads. "You are dressed in Japanese clothes, did you travel here with your parents from somewhere else and then get lost, or were you in a festival of some sort?" He asked them.

"We wear what the daddies wear." Starbright said with a shrug. "And mommy isn't here, but you are." She said taking a bite of pizza. "And of course we came from somewhere else, we don't live here, we live in a Castle."

"A castle?" Leonardo asked in surprise.

They nodded. "It's really, really big and it has lots of rooms, and a throne room, and a weapons room and it even has a dungeon with a torture chamber and everything!" Starlight said with excitement.

"A torture chamber?" Raphael asked in surprise.

Starlight nodded. "Yup, but we aren't supposed to go in there. The daddies always worry that we are going to get lost, or get hurt playing with all of the torture devices." Starlight said to Raphael.

Starbright nodded. "And then daddy and mommy fight about getting rid of the torture chamber, and mommy says she isn't getting rid of the torture chamber cause that will just make the ghosts mad and that it is already bad enough when Trick and Treat rile the ghosts up." She said finishing off her pizza.

Starlight nodded. "But then mommy tells us not to go into the dungeon at all cause we can get lost, but Trick and Treat go into the dungeon all the time and dig up the bones in the cemetery and hide them around the Castle and mommy gets mad at them." Starlight said with a laugh.

Leonardo nodded figuring that Trick and Treat must be dogs.

"A cemetery and ghosts?" Raphael asked in shock.

"Uh-huh." Starlight said. "Mommy doesn't like it when the ghosts get all stirred up. Daddy Donny thinks mommy should just get Auntie Mon to get rid of all the ghosts, but Auntie Mon says she can't get rid of them if they don't want to go."

Starbright smiled. "Auntie Mon is funny. She babysits us sometimes cause mommy and the daddies are all really busy. Uncle Azzy babysits lots too."

Leonardo blinked. "What does your mom do?" Leonardo asked hoping to find some clue as to where the girls were from. If their mother was an important official of some sort, she may be some sort of visiting dignitary.

"Do?" They asked in confusion. They shrugged.

"Everyone is scared of mommy. Daddy told us that mommy has to make sure that everyone plays nice together." Starbright told him.

"What is your mom's name?" Donatello asked the question that should have been asked from the beginning, but one which Leonardo was oddly reluctant to ask.

"Mommy is Darkness." They said together.

Leonardo frowned and looked at Donatello. Donatello tried again. "What does your dad call your mom?"

"Darkness." Starbright answered.

"What does Auntie Mon call your mom?" Donatello asked them.

"Lady Darkness." They answered again.

Donatello closed his eyes in frustration. "Mommy does have a title though." Starlight said softly.

Donatello brightened. "What's her title?" He asked her.

"Marwolaeth Yn Annwyl." She said to him. Donatello blinked in confusion.

"Auntie Mon says that mommy's title means Death's Beloved." Starbright said.

Starlight nodded. "But Auntie Mon said that it is a hard name to say, so everyone just calls mommy The Destroyer."

Silence greeted the pronouncement. "But Auntie Mon says Mommy hasn't killed anyone since before we were born." Starbright put in helpfully as if this would make her sister's pronouncement better.

Starlight nodded. "But Auntie Mon says that the man mommy killed was a bastard. Then mommy got mad at Auntie Mon for telling us about killing the bad man and for using bad language. Then Auntie Mon said he was a literal bastard. Whatever that means." Starlight said with a shrug. "Then mommy said it wasn't nice talking about someone like that just because his parents weren't married. Then Auntie Mon said he was still a bastard either way. Then Auntie Mon ran away cause mommy got angry, and mommy is scary when she is angry."

Starbright nodded. "Everyone is scared of mommy cause she is the best most powerful fighter ever. Not even all of the daddies can beat mommy when they all fight her at once."

They all looked at each other in silence. "Girls, umm, we're just going to go into the living room for a minute to discuss some grown-up stuff, have another piece of pizza." Leonardo said putting another slice of pizza on the girl's plates before striding from the kitchen.

"Okay is anyone else extremely freaked out?" Michelangelo asked.

Donatello shook his head. "They must have gone through something really traumatic to have invented such a fantastic tale." He said to them. "I think they are telling the truth somehow, but they have overlaid the reality with a fantasy that they can relate to."

Leonardo frowned. "But what if they aren't lying Donny? What if what they are telling us is true, all of it?" He questioned.

"A castle, four inhuman fathers, a mother who has no name, only a title." Donatello shook his head. "Face it Leo, those kids are scared and lost and have grabbed onto the first thing they found, which was us. We need to find their parents. I haven't found any reports of any missing children yet. The best thing we can do for those two girls is take them to the nearest police station and let the police track their parents down."

"I've got to agree with Donny on this one Leo." Raphael said to him. "Thing is we can't exactly walk into a police station." He said with a frown.

"Kitten could take them in." Michelangelo said to them.

"Mikey, Kitten's two hours away. You want her to drive all the way here so she can take the girls into a police station?" Leonardo growled.

Donatello paled. Raphael put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "Thing is, even if Kitten were to drive out here, she wouldn't be able to find the place, those vehicles of hers aren't equipped with GPS and she doesn't know her way around New York." Raphael said.

"So we take the kids to Kitten." Michelangelo said with a shrug.

"Mikey." Leonardo said with a shake of his head. 'We just got home."

"Then why doesn't this place feel like home anymore? Home for me is wherever Kitten is." Michelangelo said softly. "Besides, if the girls are in trouble then we can't just hand them over to the police, and we can't keep two little girls in a sewer. I say we go to Kitten's and see if we can find anything more out about their parents. Watch for any Amber alerts, start working with the names of the aunt and uncle they mentioned, and see if we can't get any hits on them."

"But how can I face her?" Donatello whispered.

They looked at their brother in silence. "Donny..." Leonardo closed his eyes against the agony he saw in his brother's eyes. They needed to go back, just to give their brother some piece of mind. "You need to talk to Kitten." He said softly.

"Who's Kitten?" Starbright asked walking into the living room holding Starlight's hand.

"A friend." Leonardo said to her as they sat down on the couch.

They nodded. "Mommy has kitty ears and a big fluffy kitty tail." Starbright said. "Mommy's the most beautiful mommy ever." She said happily. Leonardo smiled at their excitement over what had to be a Halloween costume.

"Hitsuzen also has kitty ears, but she doesn't have a tail." Starlight said. Starbright nodded.

"Who is Hitsuzen?" Donatello asked.

"Our baby sister." They said in unison.

"You have a sister?" Leonardo asked in shock.

Starlight nodded. "And two brothers." She grumbled. "Can Kitten get us home?" She asked Leonardo.

"We hope she'll be able to help us get you home." Leonardo said to her. Starlight seemed to have gotten over her earlier shyness of him.

"Is she powerful?" Starbright asked him.

He looked at her in confusion. "I don't..." He began, confused on how to answer the question.

Starbright frowned and then shrugged.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go." Raphael said to him.

"We aren't going to go tonight Raph, we'll leave in the morning." Leonardo said to him.

Raphael froze and closed his eyes and then opened them. "We should go now Leo."

"Raph, we can't be dragging the girls out in the middle of the night." Leonardo said to him. "It is probably close to their bedtime." He told his brother who was beginning to look worried and angry.

"Our bedtime is sunrise." Starbright put in helpfully.

He looked at her. "I'm sure it is." He said with a half smile. "It's nearly 8 o'clock, I think you girls need to go to bed." Leonardo told them.

"But Daddy, we just woke up! We aren't tired!" Starbright whined.

"Daddy we don't really have to go to bed do we?" Starlight asked Raphael.

Raphael blinked down at her, obviously still thinking about Katherine. "Sorry, Leo's right, time for bed."

They ushered the girls into Leonardo's room. They didn't have anything they could change into so they had to sleep in their clothes. They turned to leave the room. "Daddy you forgot." Starbright said to him.

"Forgot what?" He asked.

"Our song." She said. "You always say the wishing rhyme and then daddy Raph sings Twinkle, Twinkle."

"Why do I have to sing?" Raphael complained.

"Raph." Leonardo said to him. He heard his brother blow out a frustrated breath.

"What is the wishing rhyme?" He asked.

"The one about us." Starlight told him."_Starlight, Starbright first stars we see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight." _She said happily.

"You try." Starbright told him. So he repeated what she had said, even changing the few words Starlight had changed.

They turned their attention to Raphael who was standing arms crossed close to the door. He grumbled and took his place near the bed. He sang Twinkle, Twinkle and even Leonardo was hard pressed to restrain a snicker since Michelangelo was already in whoops just outside the door.

"Hugs daddy." Starlight said holding out her arms to Raphael. Raphael leaned over and gave her an awkward hug. Starbright wanted hugs next, Raphael gave her a hug then it was Leonardo's turn. They were finally able to leave only after Donatello and Michelangelo had also hugged the girls goodnight.

"We love you daddies." They said in unison as they left the room.

They walked into the kitchen. Michelangelo burst out laughing. "Just wait till I tell Kitten." He said wiping a tear from his eye. Then he paused. "Well maybe I won't, she just might find you singing Twinkle, Twinkle cute or something and you are too many steps ahead of me already." He said with an arch look at Raphael.

"Back off Mikey." Raphael growled.

"She's not yours Raph."Michelangelo pointed out to him. "You have no idea what's going on in her head." He said with a smug smile.

"Oh, and I suppose you do?" Raphael said crossing his arms and looking angrily at his baby brother.

Michelangelo smiled and shrugged. "Just saying Raph." Michelangelo walked away with a wave of his hand, Raphael following behind him.

Leonardo frowned after him. Leonardo didn't like the look of worry on Raphael's face. He wished that his brother would just tell them what had happened, but he supposed he couldn't force him to tell against Katherine's wishes.

He looked over at Donatello. "I'm going to go see if there have been any hits on the computer from the missing children database." Donatello said walking to the door.

"Donny, are you okay?" He asked gently.

Donatello's fists clenched together . "No I'm not okay Leo." Donatello growled. "I drained, I don't know how many years, off the life of the woman I love, at the very least. So either I drained her, which makes me wonder, how long does she have left , years, months, weeks, days? Or, I managed to somehow damage her very soul." He shook his head angrily. "I have this pit of dread sitting in my stomach Leo. I feel like I shouldn't have left that house. I feel like I need to go back." He said softly. "I need her Leo, I need her so badly it almost hurts, but I have no idea who it is she loves, because if it's me I can't accept her. I need her more than anything and I...I've probably given her a death sentence." Donatello whispered his voice breaking with emotion.

"Donny..." He began, but he didn't know what to say. He needed her too, he loved her so much his heart hurt when he wasn't around her. "She...she's chosen Raph Donny." Leonardo said his voice nearly breaking with his attempt to suppress his emotions.

Donatello froze. "He needs her." He said softly. "She's made him a better person Leo, but we all need her. We all love her, and..." Donatello was cut off as Michelangelo entered the kitchen looking at them with a shake of his head.

"You guys really have no clue do you?" Michelangelo said to them as he riffled through the cupboards. "She loves us all. She is IN love with ALL of us, even if she doesn't realize it, or will even admit it to herself. " He turned around looking at them. He leaned against the counter, opened a bag of chips and grabbed a handful and stuck it in his mouth.

"Mikey..." Leonardo began.

"Told me herself Leo. Not directly but..." He said to him grabbing a single chip from the bag, studying it intently.

"Mikey she was drunk." Donatello said to him.

Michelangelo looked at him in confusion. "That's _why_ she got drunk. She's trying to figure out who she loves more, but I don't think we should make her decide." He said shoving the chip in his mouth.

"What are you talking about Mikey?" Leonardo asked him.

"She loves us, we love her, I don't see the problem." He said with a shrug.

"How can you not see a problem?" Leonardo asked him in shock.

Michelangelo studied him. "I think we should all date her." Michelangelo said bluntly.

"What!" Leonardo said in surprise.

Michelangelo shrugged pushing himself away from the counter. "Thing is Leo we don't exactly meet many women, the ones we do meet are either in the gangs, or leading the gangs, or affiliated with the gangs. What do you suppose our chances are of actually finding another woman who is for one, not our enemy, and for two, actually looks at us as if we aren't freaks of nature?" He asked angrily.

"Mikey..." Leonardo began gently.

"I love her Leo." Michelangelo continued softly. "Thing is, we are all practically dating her at the moment anyway." He said with a shrug. "Probably the only one who hasn't kissed her is you." Michelangelo pointed out. "Probably because you can't stop yelling at her and being snarky long enough to have tried."

Leonardo felt his mouth drop open in shock. He looked at Donatello who was blushing."Donny?" He asked.

Donatello shrugged. "I wanted to kiss her Leo, so I did."

"And you Mikey?" He asked.

Michelangelo grinned. "I wanted to see if her lips were as soft as they looked. They are by the way." He put the bag of chips back in the cupboard.

"So she's been kissing all of you?" Leonardo asked, anger replacing his shock.

"Well, I know I kissed her. I initiated it." Michelangelo said with a shrug.

"I kissed her." Donatello said softly.

"And we know Raph kissed her, which means _we_ have all been kissing _her_. Thing is Leo, she's starting to get that hunted look around her eyes. She knows we are all in love with her, which means we are all pursuing her. I say we all just date her and see what happens." He said with a shrug. Michelangelo looked at him seriously them. "It's either that or three of us step back, stop pursuing her and stop confusing her. You want to step back Leo?" Michelangelo asked. Leonardo opened his mouth but closed it with a snap. "That's what I thought. I'm goin' to bed, catch you guys in the morning." Michelangelo said turning and leaving the room.

"Mikey!" Leonardo called after him.

"Night Leo." Donatello said walking past him in the direction of his lab.

Leonardo looked after his brothers in confusion. _What just happened?_ He wondered. He sighed. He went and made himself comfortable on the couch. He had slept most of the afternoon, but he was still exhausted. He turned Michelangelo's words around in his head. _Did Michelangelo really expect them to...share?_ He wondered. He grimaced at the idea. It pissed him off too much just watching Raphael touch her. He blew out a frustrated breath.

"See, you don't sleep during the night either. You never sleep at night." A soft voice said from beside him. He jumped in surprise. Starbright was looking at him.

He frowned at her. He hadn't even noticed when she had climbed up beside him. "You are supposed to be in bed." He said to her.

She shook her head. "It's too early, astronomical twilight was only 3 hours and 12 minutes ago." She complained.

He looked at her in surprise. "When did you say your bedtime was again?" He asked her.

"Sometimes mommy lets us see sunrise, but usually morning twilight." She said to him.

He frowned, but put this information aside. "Is your sister sleeping?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "She's with Daddy Raph." She said as Raphael walked into the room holding Starlight's hand.

"Back to bed, both of you." He said sternly.

Leonardo blinked in surprise at his brother's tone. He wasn't angry, just being firm.

They sighed, but trudged reluctantly back to his room. Raphael watched them go, turned and walked back to the training room. He watched his brother's retreating back thoughtfully.

Twenty minutes later Donatello came out of his lab holding Starlight and Starbright's hands.

Leonardo groaned standing up and walking over to his brother. "They aren't tired Leo." Donatello said to him. "If their parent's just arrived here from another country, it's possible that they are half a day or more ahead and that they really would be awake right now." He said with a shrug.

Leonardo sighed.

"Go to bed Leo." Raphael said coming into the room. "You look like hell and I'm not going to be sleeping anyway." He took the girls from Donatello and took them to the couch. "There has got to be something they can watch on TV. They have kid channels that run cartoons all the time." Raphael said as he settled between the children.

"You'd be a good father Raph." He whispered quietly, sadness rippling through him. He walked to his bedroom, and collapsed onto his bed.

* * *

Hmmm confused yet? Thoughts? =)


	21. Chapter 21

Many many thanks to Forgottenforever, MidnightRaine and rinpup14 for your awesome reiews! And as requested by MidnightRaine and Forgottenforever, the next chapter, hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

Chapter 21

**Michelangelo** finished packing his bag. He was glad they were going back to Katherine's. What he had told his brothers was true. Home was wherever she was.

He had tried to come up with a solution and in a drunken stupor decided the best thing would be for them to share Katherine. He didn't love the idea, but it seemed the only solution he could come up with where they could all be happy. Now he just had to run the idea of dating all of them past Katherine and see what she thought.

The problem with them dating anyone, was that women who they could date were slim to none. The phrase 'there are plenty of fish in the sea', did not apply to any of them. But there was something about her, something that told him she was _it,_ she was _the one_, and he felt that his brothers felt the same way.

He didn't know how Donatello would feel about the idea of all of them dating her, but he knew Leonardo and Raphael would be against the idea.

He walked into the living room. Raphael was sleeping sitting up on the couch Starlight and Starbright each buried into Raphael's side.

Michelangelo frowned. They were another puzzle. He believed what Donatello had said about them being frightened, and their story was too fantastical to be true, he shook his head. He just hoped they would find their parents soon. He smiled to himself and went to his room. He rummaged around through his bag and grabbed Katherine's camera. He had grabbed it on the way out. He figured if Leonardo was going to be overly stubborn he had to have a really good reason to go back to Katherine's. So he had taken it in case he had to 'return' it to her.

He took a picture of Raphael and the two girls. He figured Raphael hadn't been asleep for very long, and that he wouldn't be asleep for much longer. He was too worried about Katherine to actually get a good night's sleep.

He had been upset when he had figured out that Raphael and Katherine had been sleeping together. He had wondered at first if she really had chosen Raphael, but he knew if they had actually done anything together, there would be no way Raphael wouldn't have bragged about it. He had realized then that whatever had happened, had frightened Raphael so badly he would not sleep and neither would she unless they were together. It made him wonder if Katherine had actually slept last night. Leonardo and Donatello didn't know that Raphael and Katherine were sleeping together, and he thought it best that they didn't find out.

He looked at the picture he had just taken and frowned. Raphael was clear, but the two girls almost looked transparent. Where their hearts would be there were two bright lights almost like stars. He looked at the sleeping girls who looked normal. He shook his head and hoped he hadn't broken Katherine's camera somehow. He put the camera down. He figured Katherine wouldn't miss it for a while. He would keep it here in case Leonardo decided they needed to run away again.

He walked to Donatello's lab where he found his brother sleeping at his computer. Donatello woke up as he entered. His brother looked wretched and miserable. "Donny." He said as he touched his brother's shoulder. "Let's go talk to Kitten." He said as he helped his brother up.

"It's 6 am Mikey." Donatello said with a groan.

"Exactly, we'll get there by 8 or before 8 if Raph's driving. Pack your bag, or if you didn't unpack then let's go. Raph will be up any minute now and the girls are probably going to sleep all the way there. I'll get Leo up."

It took them a lot longer to get going than Michelangelo was hoping it would. Leonardo was dragging his heels, the girls were practically comatose, they couldn't wake them up for breakfast or for lunch. They only showed signs of life closer to dinner. Donatello spent most of the day resetting and recalibrating the security system and they were not ready until 6:00 pm that evening.

"So much for an early start." Raphael grumbled. Raphael hadn't got more than a few hours sleep last night and had been as anxious as Michelangelo was to get going.

"The girls don't have any jackets or shoes." Donatello pointed out. They all stopped and looked at the girls.

"Do you know where your jackets and shoes are?" Leonardo asked them.

"At home." Starbright said to him.

"Great." Raphael grumbled. "Well it isn't like they are going outside. We'll just pull into the garage when we get to Kitten's." Raphael said taking Starlight by the hand and leading her to the truck.

Starlight looked around. Raphael opened the door and put her in the back buckling her up.

Leonardo did the same with Starbright. Raphael hopped into the driver's seat. "Try not to speed too much Raph, we have kids in the back." Leonardo said as he hopped into the passenger seat.

"You don't have to tell me Leo." Raphael said starting up the truck.

Starlight and Starbright let out a screech of fear. Michelangelo and Donatello grabbed at them as they tried to get out of the seatbelts.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong." He asked clutching at the frightened girl.

"What's that noise." Starlight whispered in fright.

"The truck engine?" He asked gently.

"The what?" Starlight asked. "Where are the horses."

"What would we need horses for?" He asked in shock.

"To pull the carriage." Starbright said from Donatello's arms. He looked at Raphael's surprised face in the rear-view mirror.

"The horses are under the hood." Raphael said as he floored it.

The girls seemed to accept this and pulled out of their arms. Michelangelo looked at Donatello.

"You've never seen a truck before?" Donatello asked them gently. They shook their heads.

"But how do you get anywhere?" Michelangelo asked.

The girls looked at each other. "The elevator." They said in unison.

Michelangelo frowned in confusion at Donatello. "Okay, but how do you get anywhere outside." Donatello asked.

"Well, mommy has a big black carriage that is pulled by six great big black horses. Uncle Lucy and Uncle Gabe gave it to mommy as a present." Starbright said to them.

"Sometimes we walk places, sometimes we fly, but not often cause the daddies can't fly." Starlight said to them.

"Okay." Michelangelo said in confusion.

He looked at Donatello who shrugged. "Your mom must have a lot of brothers and sisters." Donatello said to them.

Starlight shook her head. "Mommy doesn't have any brothers or sisters."

"So all of your aunts and uncles are your dad's family?" Donatello asked.

Starbright frowned. "Aunty Mon is daddy Raph and daddy's friend, and I think she works for mommy somehow. Uncle Lucy and Uncle Gabe are mommy's friends, and Uncle Azzy is daddy Raph's friend and mommy's..." She frowned.

"Just mommy's." Starlight finished. "Uncle Azzy lives with us. He always is telling mommy what is going on and what she has to do all the time, even when she doesn't want to do anything."

"Like an assistant." Donatello asked helpfully.

They shrugged.

"And we only have one Grampa cause mommy doesn't have any parents." Starbright said to him.

"Are we there yet?" Starlight asked Raphael.

"No we aren't there yet, we just left! We have another hour and a half at the least." Raphael growled.

Starlight slumped back in her seat. "But that is forever!" She whined. "Mommy's carriage is much faster." Starlight grumbled crossing her arms.

"I doubt six horses could beat this truck."Raphael said to her.

"Sure they could. This truck is slow. Does it fly?" Starbright asked.

"Of course it doesn't fly!" Raphael said clutching the wheel tightly.

"Then mommy's carriage is faster." Starbright grumbled.

"You're sayin' your mom's carriage flies?" Raphael said to her.

"Of course it does. Mommy's horses can fly, and they breathe fire. Everyone gets out of the way when mommy's carriage drives through the streets." Starbright said proudly. "They eat people too." She said with a smile.

"Well, they only ate Bob." Starlight put in.

"Yeah, mommy wasn't happy about that." Starbright said with a shake of her head.

"And back to the Twilight Zone." Raphael grumbled. "What kinds of movies are you kids watching?" He asked them with a shake of his head.

The girls shrugged.

"You have a very good imagination." Donatello said to her.

Starbright frowned. Starlight looked at her. They seemed to have a mini conversation without words.

"I'm hungry." Starlight said suddenly.

"You just ate!" Raphael said from the driver's seat.

"But you kept trying to get me to wake up during the day!" She accused Raphael as if this mattered.

"Well it isn't like I can just pull into a fast-food joint." Raphael said with frustration."You are just going to have to wait 'till we get to Kitten's." He said to her.

"Why not?" Starlight asked in confusion. "What's fast-food?" She asked.

"I take it back, kids are trouble." He grumbled "I'm a giant mutant turtle, humans scream if they see me." Raphael growled.

"Humans are silly." Starlight said nodding.

Raphael frowned at her comment but just shook his head. "Kitten will feed you." He said as he turned the radio on. The girls happily listened to the radio for the next hour, Raphael having put the pedal to the metal to get them to Katherine's.

They pulled up the driveway the garage door opening when they reached it. "Looks like Kitten knows we're here." Michelangelo said looking at the brightly lit house.

The girls looked at the house. "It almost feels like mommy's Castle...almost." Starbright said as they pulled into the garage.

Michelangelo looked at Donatello who looked grey. "Maybe we had better let Donny talk to Kitten for a few minutes before we throw the girls on her." Michelangelo whispered to them. They all looked at Donatello, who, if possible, looked greyer. He nodded and slowly got out of the truck and walked towards the door entering the house.

* * *

**Donatello** felt ill and yet somehow relieved. He no longer felt pulled and he no longer felt the deep feeling of wrongness about having left. Both feelings had lessened as soon as they had entered the gate of Katherine's house and now that he was in the garage, the feelings had completely vanished. He just wished that the absolute crushing guilt would vanish as easily.

He clutched at the doorknob and forced himself to turn it. He opened the door only to find Katherine standing right there. She was standing in the kitchen wearing nothing but Leonardo's shirt, the neck having fallen over her one shoulder and holding a mug of hot chocolate.

She looked at him in shock. She looked exhausted as if she hadn't slept the night before. She put the mug down on the counter. "Donatello what's wrong? Are you okay, your wound it hasn't re-opened has it? Oh no, the lair, who was..." He cut her off.

"Katherine." He said softly. She froze at the use of her name. He shucked his jacket and shirt. It was the easiest way to show her why he was in agony.

She looked at his shoulder in shock. She walked over to him and touched the scarring. She frowned in thought. "You think I did this." She said softly. "You think I managed to do this and you think that more of my life was sacrificed to do it." She looked at his agonized face. "Or I may have done something else to myself to do this." She whispered.

"Katherine, Leo said that at the very least, you may have taken decades off your life, but...you may have damaged your soul." He whispered.

She rubbed her thumb gently over the length of the scar. She shook her head. "I remember expending a great deal of energy to bring you back. This," She pointed to the scar. "If I did it, then I didn't even realize that I did it." She looked at him seriously. "Donatello." She grabbed his face lightly brushing both of her thumbs over his face wiping away the wetness he hadn't even realized had fallen upon his cold cheeks. "Out of the night that covers me/Black as the Pit from pole to pole/ I thank whatever gods may be/ For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud./Under the bludgeonings of chance/ My head is bloody, but unbowed./ Beyond this place of wrath and tears/Looms but the horror of the shade,/And yet the menace of the years/Finds, and shall find me, unafraid./It matters not how strait the gate,/How charged with punishments the scroll,/I am the master of my fate;/I am the captain of my soul. _Invictus _by William Ernest Henley."

He looked at her in confusion. "I don't understand." He whispered.

"Basically the poem means that life is what it is. I have Choice. I choose how I live my life, even if I can't choose my fate, I will control it. I control my soul, no one else. No matter what life throws my way, I will accept it as it is. Death will come for me one day, Death waits for us all, but I love you too much not to have you in my life." She said to him pulling him into a merciless embrace. "I will not have this conversation again and I refuse to have you blame yourself for anything. I chose, not you. My fault, not yours. Understand?" She said to him sternly her eyes burning with anger.

He closed his eyes against the anger that burned in her gaze. "I love you too much to..." He began.

"Donatello, what if Leonardo is wrong?" She said softly. Donatello looked at her, doubt filling his eyes. "What if he is wrong? He could be wrong and if he is, you are beating yourself up over nothing. Maybe I am more powerful than even Leonardo thinks I am." Donatello opened his mouth to refute her. "You don't know Donatello, and neither can Leonardo. You have to at least agree to the possibility."

Donatello frowned but nodded his head. He couldn't argue with her logic. There was a possibility that she may be right. He blew out a defeated breath. She smiled at him.

"Well I'm glad you two got that worked out." Raphael growled. "Kitten what the hell are you doing wearing Leo's shirt?" He growled angrily. Donatello stepped out of the way of his angry brother.

She looked at him and shrugged. "It smells like him." She said softly. Raphael strode over to her and he looked into her eyes searching. He reached out and touched her cheek.

"Did it help?" He asked her. She looked up at him in shock at the gentleness in his voice. She shook her head. He nodded. "It's okay Kitten, I'm here and I'm not leaving." He whispered down to her tipping her face up and kissing her.

Donatello looked away. He felt pain stab through him. His emotions were in turmoil. He didn't like that Raphael was kissing Katherine, but at the same time he knew that there was something between them, something that they had shared that had brought them closer together and it wasn't anything Donatello could fight against. He shoved away Michelangelo's comments from last night that sought to intrude.

"What are you guys doing here?" Katherine asked as she looked at them in confusion. Raphael held her tightly in his arms, but reluctantly pulled away.

"We found a couple of kids in the lair. We are trying to find their parents, but we aren't having much luck." Raphael said shaking his head.

"Especially since they keep calling us daddy." Donatello said. "Or more specifically Leo and Raph are their 'actual' daddies while Mikey and I are just the 'other' daddies." Donatello said with a slight smile at Raphael's blush.

Looking at Katherine he felt better, knowing that she didn't believe that she had done anything that jeopardized her life. She looked over at him and grabbed his hand giving it a squeeze as if she knew what he had been thinking.

She turned her attention back to Raphael and grabbed his hand as well. A smile tugged at the comers at her mouth. "Okay 'daddy', so what am I supposed to do?" She asked him.

Raphael glared down at her. "Let them stay here until we find their parents, and if all else fails you'll have to take them to a police station since we can't. But Donny here thinks they may be running from something." He said nodding at him.

Donatello nodded. "They seem to be grabbing at us as some sort of lifeline. Anyway, we haven't been able to locate any missing children matching their description."

"Are you sure they didn't run away?" She asked in concern.

Raphael shook his head. "They are like 4 or 5 years old. Twin girls." Raphael said to her.

Katherine nodded. "Alright anything I can do to help." She said to them.

* * *

**Leonardo** looked at the two girls in the back. Raphael had left the truck a few minutes after Donatello. He told them he was going to make sure Donatello stopped feeling sorry for himself long enough to actually tell Katherine why they were here. "Daddy Donny is sad, Daddy is sad, and Daddy Raph is worried." Starbright said to him. "Why is Daddy Donny sad?" She asked.

"He's sad because he hurt a friend and is worried she won't forgive him." He said softly to her.

She nodded. "Why are you sad Daddy?" She asked.

"Because sometimes, I miss my father." He said to her truthfully.

She nodded. "Grampa Splinter's in Heaven. Don't you visit him? We visit him lots." She said to him. Leonardo felt his world tilt and the blood drain from his face.

"Who told you about Master Splinter?" He asked her in a nearly inaudible whisper.

She looked at him like he had grown another head. "He's our Grampa. He died before we were born, but you take us to visit him all the time." She said with a shrug.

Leonardo swallowed hard. He looked at Michelangelo who was wearing the same look of stunned horror on his face. They began scrambling. Michelangelo unbuckled the girls. Michelangelo grabbed Starlight while he grabbed Starbright hauling them out of the truck and towards the house.

"Donny!"Leonardo yelled.

* * *

LOL poor Leo. Thoughts, feelings, opinions?


	22. Chapter 22

One more chapter before the weekend. Thank you to Forgottenforever again for your awesome support!

* * *

Chapter 22

**Raphael** turned as Leonardo and Michelangelo crashed through the door. "Donny we need to talk...now!" Leonardo barked as they set the girls down on their feet. Leonardo looked at Katherine who was looking at him in surprise. Leonardo and Michelangelo looked pale and Leonardo looked as if he was possibly going to faint. Raphael frowned wondering what had happened to put the look of stunned horror on his brother's face.

"Mommy!" The girls shouted in unison as they launched themselves at Katherine knocking her to the ground.

"Great. Now they've picked a mom. Don't mind them Kitten, they seem to be attaching themselves to, holy shit." He swore as three sets of eyes turned towards him.

"Daddy, no swearing." Starlight said frowning at him.

Raphael looked at the girls and Katherine. The girl's hair wasn't white blonde, but white, the same colour as Katherine's, but this alone wasn't what had made him swear and the blood drain from his face. Starbright was Katherine, but miniature. The same green eyes looked at him in a face that had the same nose, same stubborn chin, the same cupids bow lips, the same pale complexion. Starlight was Katherine's double as well except for her honey brown eyes. The same colour of eyes he had. His world swam. He felt Michelangelo grab at him.

"Mommy, why is your hair a different colour and why are you pretending to be human?" Starbright asked her.

"I...what?" Katherine asked in confusion.

"Well, maybe mommy was human for some reason once." Starlight said with a shrug. "Mommy we're hungry." They said completely unconcerned with the turmoil they had just caused.

All eyes turned to Katherine. "Because my life couldn't get even more weird." She grumbled rubbing at her temples.

"Leo...I know what this looks like..." Donatello began.

"Starbright, sweetheart, why don't you tell Daddy Donny about your grandfather." Leonardo said to her.

She looked at Leonardo then shrugged. Raphael looked at Leonardo's pale face. "But Daddy Donny knows that Grampa Splinter is in Heaven. Daddy Donny took us to see him last week." She said with a frown. "Don't worry daddy," She said to Leonardo. "Grampa is happy because he is with Master Yoshi." She said with a smile.

Donatello paled and Raphael felt none too steady either.

Katherine slowly stood up."Peanut butter and jam sandwiches okay?" She asked the girls.

The girls looked at her in confusion. "What's a peanut butter and jam sandwich?" They asked together.

"Seriously!" Michelangelo said grabbing his head in frustration.

"Daddy Mikey...you're silly." They said laughing at him.

"Okay, girls at the table, here, you'll like it." Katherine said putting down the sandwiches she had quickly made.

She grabbed Raphael and Donatello and dragged them from the room. Leonardo and Michelangelo followed. She dragged them into the library.

"Okay, somebody had better start talking, and why are you all looking at me like that?" Katherine questioned.

They looked at Donatello. He shook his head. "I have to think for a moment." He said giving Katherine a speculative look. "Katherine are you sure you are human?" Donatello asked her.

They all looked at her. "You're kidding right?"

Donatello shook his head. Katherine closed her eyes and opened them. "I am human. I was born in a hospital. I have had blood tests, allergy tests, and x-rays. I am human. Besides being able to sense ghosts, the weird stuff has only happened since I came to New York, starting with meeting you guys." She huffed out. "So now that that is out of the way, let us begin with what is going on? What changed in the moment from Raphael telling me we needed to find these girl's parents to the OMG looks I am getting now?"

"The girls seem to think that Raphael and Leonardo are their fathers, and seem to think you are their mother." Donatello began.

"Okay, but obviously we aren't so...Wait, you believe them." She said in surprise.

"We didn't up until right now." Leonardo said softly. "They look exactly like you. We have never mentioned Master Splinter or Master Yoshi, and they knew our names, our full names." Leonardo said softly.

"Of course we know your names. Mommy always calls all the daddies by their full names." Starbright said from the couch. They turned and looked at them startled.

They blinked in shock. Raphael hadn't even seen them enter the room let alone sit down on the couch. His gaze caught Katherine's whose face had paled. She did always call them by their full names.

Katherine walked over and knelt down in front of the girls. She looked at them as if she were trying to see the similarities they had seen. She frowned obviously seeing the resemblance. "Okay so Starbright has green eyes and,"

"Starlight." Raphael supplied.

"Has brown eyes." She finished. "And you are twins."

They nodded. "Daddy Raphael is my daddy." Starlight said proudly.

"And Daddy Leonardo is my daddy." Starbright said happily.

Katherine nodded. "Why do you call them 'the daddies'? Why not Uncle Mikey and Uncle Donny?" She asked them.

"Cause all of the daddies are mommy's...Con...Consor" Starbright paused as she tried to figure out the word.

"Consorts?" Katherine asked.

"That's it. You are married to all the daddies and they are your Consorts." Starlight said nodding happily.

"Okay." She said with a nod. "How did you get here?" She asked them.

"We already told the daddies." Starbright said with a pout.

"Well now you get to tell me." She said to them.

"We were playing hide and seek. We know we aren't supposed to be playing in the Control Room when there is no one there, but Trick and Treat are too good at playing hide and seek so we decided to hide up there. We hid but Trick and Treat found us anyway and then they began to play with Magi then we were in a place that smelled funny, and we were really scared but then daddy found us." Starbright said to her.

Katherine looked at Donatello who was frowning in thought. A look was exchanged between them and she turned her attention back to the girls.

"Okay so who is Magi?" Katherine asked calmly.

"Magi is..." She looked around the room as if she was looking for something. She brightened. 'Magi is like that laptop." She said pointing to the laptop on the desk. "Auntie Mon is always on her laptop, but Magi talks and is much bigger. Daddy Donny and mommy spend lots of time with Magi. Daddy Donny told us it is how mommy makes sure that everyone behaves."

"So Magi is a big...computer?" Katherine asked.

Starlight shook her head. "Daddy Donny says Magi is sorta like a computer, but also like a big scry...scry-something mirror."

"Scrying mirror?" She asked.

They nodded. Katherine frowned in thought looking at Donatello again. She stood up and looked down at the two girls.

"What is your mother's name?" She asked the little girls.

"Darkness." They said to her.

Katherine frowned. "That's a strange name." She said to them.

They shrugged. "Mommy is Darkness."

"Okay." She said with a nod of her head. "Do you like movies?" She asked them.

They smiled. "Yes." They said together.

"Come on, you girls can watch some movies while me and your...fathers, talk." Katherine took each girl by the hand and began leading them from the room. Starlight and Starbright stopped. "Uncle Lucy and Uncle Gabe call mommy by a funny name though." Starbright said suddenly.

Starlight nodded. "Uncle Lucy and Uncle Gabe are the only ones that call mommy by that name. And only when no one is around." Starlight said frowning.

"And what name is that?" Katherine asked curiously.

They both shrugged and said in unison, "Kaethryn."

Katherine went white as chalk and Raphael felt all the blood drain from his face. He strode over to Katherine who waved him off. She took the girls and led them out of the room.

Raphael sat down before he fell down. He put his head in his hands. Too many emotions and too many thoughts were crowding around in his head for him to make any sense of any of it.

He felt Michelangelo flop down on the couch next to him. They were silent, each too absorbed by their own thoughts to speak.

Raphael looked up as Katherine walked into the room. She closed the door behind her. She looked pale and tired, but if she was reeling from what they had literally dropped in her lap, she didn't show it. Instead her face was filled with cool detachment.

"Donatello, probability, go." She said to him.

Donatello blinked and tried to snap out of it. "I don't..." He said at a loss. Their brainiac brother was so shaken he couldn't even focus.

"Pull it together Donatello. Can we or can't we have children together?" She asked him.

Donatello shook his head. "We're reptiles, you're a mammal..." She cut Donatello off.

"Different species, got it. Probability of twins with two different fathers?" She asked.

"If circumstances were ideal, then it is possible, rare, but possible." Donatello said to her.

She nodded. "Chances of you constructing a time machine?" She asked rapidly changing gears.

"I...I suppose it is not beyond the realm of possibility...but...I wouldn't..." She cut him off.

Katherine frowned in thought. "In the realm of impossibilities and improbabilities one must allow for the possibility that the impossible and improbable are possible, somewhere and somehow." Katherine said to Donatello. Donatello paled.

"What?" Raphael asked in confusion. "I didn't understand a thing you just said."

Donatello swallowed. "She basically said, that since the possibility of us, not only being able to have children, but of me somehow building a time machine is pretty much impossible, it is therefore so beyond the realm of possibility that it is possible." Donatello explained.

"Sorry, I still didn't get that." Raphael said in frustration.

"She believes them." Leonardo said softly from where he was leaning against the desk arms crossed.

"What!" Raphael said in surprise.

Katherine shrugged. "They aren't lying, they truly believe that we are their parents, even if we aren't." She said with a shrug.

"But you just said that...I'm confused." Raphael said to her.

"I said it was possible, I didn't say it _was_. The best thing we can do now is make sure the girls are well taken care of until their actual parents find them." Katherine pointed out reasonably.

"How can you be so calm?" He asked her in frustration. He felt like his world had tipped sideways and could barely breathe.

"Who said I was calm? Besides there isn't much we can do about the situation, but deal with it the best we can." She said with a shrug.

"What's a scrying mirror?" Michelangelo asked softly.

"The medium can be different, a crystal ball, a mirror, a still pool of water, fire, smoke, stone or even glass. It is a means of seeing spiritual visions, but it can also be used in divination." She said to him. Michelangelo looked confused. "Basically you can see the past present and future in the mirror." She said with a wave of her hands.

"What's a Consort?" Michelangelo asked.

"A Consort can be a husband or wife, and in some cases multiple wives or I suppose husbands. But what the girls are describing would be fraternal polyandry. One woman married to multiple brothers."

"But Kitten, that isn't...it's not..." Leonardo began.

"It happens, it's rare though." She shrugged."It is still practiced in some parts of the world. Usually though it has to do with multiple factors ranging from land divisions and social hierarchies to biological sustainability. " Katherine said lapsing into silence.

Raphael could see her mind working. She looked at the moment very much like how Donatello looked when he had just discovered something, and right now he knew Katherine had just hit anthropological pay dirt.

"I wish the girls were a little older..." She said with abstraction. "Multiple wives make sense biologically speaking. You can produce more offspring that way, but multiple husbands would be..."

"Kitten." He said gently.

She blinked at him pulling herself out of her abstracted state. "Sorry." She apologised. "The thing is the specific term Consort is usually only used for people in very high positions like Emperors, Kings, gods, you get the picture." She shrugged.

"Katherine, who is Kaethryn?" Donatello asked quietly.

Katherine froze. "Kaethryn is dead Donatello. Please just...don't ask." She said steadily as she walked to the door and left the room.

Donatello looked at the door, his mind obviously trying to figure out who Kaethryn was.

"I'm still confused." Raphael ground out through clenched teeth.

"They are ours Raph." Leonardo said softly.

"But...but." Raphael stammered.

He looked at his brothers. He still felt lost and confused. He looked at the closed door. He frowned in thought. Katherine did not seem bothered with the idea of having children with them. His frown deepened. Big emphasis on the _them_.

"Okay truthfully, does anyone see a situation where all of us would share her?" He demanded. Michelangelo shrugged as he shared a look with his other brothers. "Wait, you're telling me you would share Mikey?" He asked in shock.

"I love her Raph. If I had to share her to have her, I would." He said with a shrug.

He looked at Donatello who looked uncomfortable. He met his brother's eyes. "I don't know Raph. Truthfully I think the jealousy would kill me, but when I think about life without her..." He shook his head. "I love her too much to lose her."

Leonardo frowned looking at Raphael. "I hate it when you touch her Raph." He growled. "I could not think of any possible situation where I would be okay with knowing you were with her at the same time as I was."

Raphael stood up. "That's okay Leo. I would never share her. Ever." He strode angrily from the room.

He needed to talk to Katherine, but at the same time he knew he needed to calm down first. He strode to the workout room.

He didn't know how long he punched, kicked and hit the heavy bag, but when he had finished he was dripping with sweat and no closer to being calm. He felt exhausted and overwhelmed. He had no idea if Starlight was actually his daughter, and he had no idea what Katherine's feelings were. He was lost.

He walked to the mirror and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. The problem was that some of the things the girls said made sense, but other things sounded so fantastical that he felt as if there must be some other world out there where mutant turtles ruled the world or something. He smirked. "Ruled a very messed up world." He said to himself.

"Are you okay daddy?" Starlight asked him.

He jumped and looked at her in shock. "Jeez you scared me." He told her. He frowned. "How'd you get here?" He asked her. He hadn't seen her come in, and hadn't seen her sit down.

She frowned. "I walked." She said giving him an odd look. He nodded and blew out a breath. "Mommy's tired." She said to him. "I've never seen mommy tired before, at least, not fall asleep tired."

Raphael stood. "Mommy's been having problems sleeping." Raphael said to her then stopped and shook his head at calling Katherine 'mommy'.

She frowned but nodded. "Mommy isn't using..." She began but was cut off when Katherine ran into the room.

"Oh good, she's with you. I turned my head for a second and she was gone." Katherine said to him. "They don't seem to be tired or want to go to bed." she said to him.

"Yeah their internal clocks are messed up, they want to sleep all day and be up all night. They keep saying that their bedtime is sunrise." Katherine frowned but nodded. He looked at her and realized she looked ready to collapse.

"Come on Kitten, time for bed." He said to her. Her eyes opened wide as fear crowded into her eyes. "Mikey can look after the kids, you need to sleep." He said as he grabbed her hand.

Starlight grabbed his other hand. They walked out of the room together. He shoved Katherine in the direction of her room. Raphael went to find Michelangelo who was already watching a movie with Starbright. He told him that Katherine was going to bed and to look after the girls.

"G'night Raph." Michelangelo said with a glint in his eye. "But until this whole thing is sorted out, I'll still be mad if you touch her, so don't even think about it." He said in a low voice as he walked to the door with Michelangelo. Raphael looked at him in shock. "Don't think I don't know what's been going on." Michelangelo said with a smirk. "Now go get some rest. You and Kitten need it."

"How...who?" He managed to ask.

"Don't worry bro, I'm the only one who has figured it out, and I don't mind, as long as you be a good little turtle and keep your hands to yourself." Michelangelo said as he walked back and settled himself on the couch between the two girls.

Raphael frowned but walked out of the room and up the stairs to Katherine's room. He opened her door and found it empty. He looked across the hall at the room that had been Donatello's. He thought about it and realized that it was the biggest of all of the rooms, which meant that Katherine had given up her room for Donatello.

He walked across the hall and opened the door. He found the room empty, but the bed had been slept in, or at least tossed in. Raphael closed the door and waited for Katherine to come to bed.

* * *

**Leonardo** stood by the fireplace watching the flames dance in the grate. He didn't know why, but this room was his favourite. It was the room he would go to when he needed to think, and right now, he had a lot of thinking to do.

He looked up at the door as it opened. Katherine walked in closing the door behind her gently. She was still wearing his shirt but she had changed into her plaid pj bottoms and he could see the pink shirt beneath his.

He looked at the woman he loved and didn't know what to say. His mind was filled with too many questions and too many emotions for him to think straight.

"Are you okay Leonardo?" She asked him softly.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't trust himself to speak. She walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. He clutched her to him tightly. He took in a shuddering breath. He needed her. He needed her so badly it hurt, but he couldn't share her. He would never share her with his brothers, she had to choose. She had to make a choice. But if he forced her at this moment to make a choice, he knew it wouldn't be him she chose.

"Don't choose Raph yet." He said to her, his voice coarse and rough with too much emotion.

She pulled back looking at him in shock. "What?"

"I know, all I've done is try to push you away, but I love you." He said to her. She opened her mouth to tell him something. He leaned in and kissed her. He kissed her with all of his pent up emotions. He needed her, wanted her, and the possibility that they could have some sort of life together, have a family together had been dangled in front of him and he wanted to take it.

She kissed him back with a fervour that matched his own.

He pulled away and looked down into her eyes. "I know I've been an ass, and I am so sorry, but please don't choose Raph yet. Please just give me a chance to show you the man I am, instead of the man I have been these last few months."

"Leonardo..." She began.

"Please Katherine." He said as he clutched at her upper arms desperately. She sucked in a breath of pain. He looked down at his hand in confusion. He wasn't holding her that tightly. He frowned, grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled it up exposing her upper arm. There was a large angry purple bruise. Anger roared through him. Someone had bruised her. He looked at the bruise which had been made by a three fingered hand...like his. He felt the blood drain from his face as he realized that it had been him who had given her the angry bruise. It was his hand that had grabbed her arm in a punishing grip after Raphael had kissed her.

He stumbled away from her. "Kitten, I didn't mean...I didn't know that I..." He stammered.

She looked at the bruise and shrugged as if she was unconcerned with it. "Leonardo, you have to calm down." She said to him.

"Calm down, how can I calm down!" He shouted at her. "For a whole month I watched Raphael, and that whole month I waited for him to hurt you when his temper snapped. I waited for his hand to finally strike out at you, and it never did, not once. I didn't believe he would ever have the ability to restrain himself, but you always believed he wouldn't hurt you, and he didn't. Instead it was me. I was the one who, in a fit of rage, took my anger out on you." He whispered. He closed his eyes against the concern in her face. He swallowed. "Go...go be with Raph. He deserves you." He managed to choke out.

"You are doing it again." She said in a low angry voice. "Don't tell me how to run my life."

He opened his mouth but she waved away whatever he was going to say. "You don't get to tell me who to be with and who not to be with." Katherine said to him in frustration."You can't tell me who to love and who not to love."

"You can't be with me Katherine." He said shaking his head. It hurt his heart to say it, and he knew that Starbright was supposed to be his, but he didn't really believe she was, no matter how much he wanted her to be his. And he wanted so badly for her to be his. "I'll just hurt you again. I can't stop hurting you, first with words and now..." He stopped unable to finish his sentence.

"You are used to dealing with your brothers, they aren't as delicate as I am, it was an accident, you didn't mean to bruise my arm." She said to him.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He said to her. He was done talking. All he had to do now was wait until she left, and then he could fall into the black pit of despair he had created for himself. He would leave tomorrow morning. He knew Starbright would be upset, but he couldn't stay here and watch Katherine with his brother.

"Leonardo." Katherine said in an low voice.

He looked into her angry eyes. "My life. Mine. You understand? You don't get to decide to opt out of it. Since the wrong was done to _me_, _I_ decide what the punishment is, not _you_."

He looked at her in shock. She drew her fist back and he looked at it in confusion. The next thing he knew he was staring up into her face from the floor. He had taken many a punch and many a kick to the face, and most had never literally floored him. Hers had. He rubbed his jaw in pain. "You're lucky I didn't give you a black eye." She growled at him as she pulled him to his feet.

"Where did you...?" He wondered still trying to get his jaw working.

"Grew up with two brothers remember." She said with a quirk of her lips. "Anyway, now we are even. Now stop being an ass, stop feeling sorry for yourself and accept the fact that for a short while you are a father. Don't think about it too much, you will just hurt your brain playing the' is she my daughter from a future timeline or isn't she', game."

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed out a breath. "Michelangelo talked to me on my way in here. He seems to think I should date all of you." Leonardo opened his mouth but she cut him off. "I'm not exactly thrilled with the prospect. It seems like it would be a lot of work and I would feel like a bone stuck in the middle of four very hungry dogs. That being said, I can't argue with Michelangelo's logic that I may be able to figure out my own heart if I do. For reasons I can't explain I love you, I have no idea why but I do. Is Michelangelo's idea ideal, no, but right now, I think it's all we've got." She said as she turned and walked to the door. "Goodnight Leonardo." She closed the door gently behind her.

He stared at the door in shock. "What just happened?" He asked the empty room. He rubbed his jaw. He didn't want to share her, the thought of her with any of his brothers made him burn with jealous anger.

He sat down on the chair. He rubbed his jaw. Starbright was right. Their mommy was scary. She had a hell of a right hook too.

* * *

**Raphael** looked up as Katherine walked into the room flexing her fingers and shaking out her hand. She was pale and no emotion crossed her face. It was then that Raphael realized that it was when she was the most emotional that she appeared the most unemotional. He walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. She just sighed in contentment. "I missed you." She whispered to him.

"I missed you too." He said as he tipped her face up and kissed her. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "They are the 'but' aren't they?" He asked her.

She didn't pretend to misunderstand him or be confused by his question. "Yes." She said softly.

"You love me. But, you love my brothers as well." He said his voice wavering with pent up emotion, anger mixed with sadness.

"It has been a very long day and there are now children, apparently mine, who have been dropped into my lap. I am trying to wrap my head around such a scenario, but I can't. But truthfully I could care less right now. I am tired Raphael. So very tired. All I want to do is climb into bed and go to sleep in the arms of the man I love, and hope that I don't dream." She said to him.

"Fine," he said as he grabbed at Leonardo's shirt pulling it up and over her head. "But I don't want you wearing...When the hell did you get this?" He growled looking at the bruise on her arm. She sighed shoulders slumping.

"Raphael..." She began.

"Leo. That bastard." He growled. He strode to the door.

"If you leave, don't think about coming back. Ever." Katherine said to him.

He stopped dead. He turned and looked at her in shock. She was furious. "Kitten he..." He began.

"And since when do I need you to fight my battles for me Raphael." She asked him, her voice low and controlled.

"Kitten." He said slowly walking over to her.

"No Raphael, you listen to me. I have already taken care of the situation, Leonardo has been properly chastised." She said to him unconsciously flexing her hand.

Raphael frowned looking at her hand. Her knuckles were scraped. "Wait, did you punch him?" He asked in shock. She shrugged looking at her hand. "Well, if you did you probably didn't hit him hard enough." He growled.

"He seemed pretty surprised when I had to help him up off the floor." She said with a smirk.

"Wait, you knocked Leo, to the floor?" He asked in surprise.

She smiled up at him. "It's funny though. I was sure the first one of you I was going to end up punching for being an ass was going to be you." She said with a smile but her face grew serious. "Leonardo and I are good. Leonardo is..." She seemed to search for what she was thinking. "Leonardo is very much like me. We have to always be in control, everything has always got to be our way." She said to him.

He frowned. He got that Leonardo was bossy and controlling, but not Katherine. "You aren't..." He began then looked at her. She was. She was very controlling and everything did always have to be her way, but..."Okay so how come I didn't notice you being controlling, but Leo continually pisses me off?" He asked her.

"Because I ask, Leonardo orders. That isn't the point I'm trying to make though. My point is that Leonardo is so out of control right now he has no idea what to do. He can't control his emotions no matter how hard he tries. He can't stop loving me. He can't control any of you anymore. His nice orderly world has been replaced by chaos and it is tearing him apart. He is lashing out as he tries to make his world orderly again. But with Starbright and Starlight falling into your laps his world has become even more chaotic." She said softly.

"So why aren't you freaking out?" He asked her.

She tipped her head to the side in thought. "I don't need to have my world make _sense_. That has never bothered me. The world has always been, to me, chaos. There is no point in trying to make sense of something that is so illogical. It is much easier to just accept it as is and deal with it as best you can." She said with a shrug.

He brushed his fingers across her cheeks. "I won't share you." He growled at her.

She sighed. "I'm not asking you to." She said gently. "For now, there is just sleep." She said pulling him towards the bed.

* * *

Thoughts, feelings, opinions?


	23. Chapter 23

Alrighty chapter 23 up and ready to go! Thak you so much to Forgottenforever you rock! Everyone please enjoy!

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Chapter 23

**Raphael** felt a weight press down on him. "Daddy. Daddy wake up." A voice said from on top of him. He opened an eye and looked into Starlight's brown ones. He frowned, looked at the clock and looked back at her.

"What are you doing up?" He asked her. It was noon, which was around the time when he liked to ooze out of bed, but he was surprised she wasn't still sleeping.

"Well technically it is still dark _somewhere_. I'm hungry and we're bored." She said jumping on him.

"Starlight go tell your sister to quit jumping on her father." Katherine mumbled into her pillow. "We're getting up."

"Kay." She said crawling off of him and walking out of the room closing the door behind her.

Katherine rolled out of bed. She looked at him. "What?" She asked him.

"How did you know what Starbright is doing?" He asked as he rolled over an sat on the edge of the bed.

"Because if Starlight is bugging you, then Starbright is bugging Leonardo, and knowing him, he probably spent most of the night awake." She said with a stretch as she turned to walk to the bathroom closing the door behind her.

He heard the shower start up. He stood and walked to the bathroom door. He stared at it a moment before reaching for the door handle, opening the door, and walking in. He watched her shower through the fogged glass. He wanted to join her. He wanted to open the shower door and watch as the water caressed a body that made him ache with need. But he wasn't that brave. Michelangelo had no need to worry. He would kiss her, he would do anything to her, but the thought of her actually seeing him naked frightened the hell out of him. He knew he was human-ish, but he wasn't human, and he wasn't turtle, some mix in-between, and the fear of her pulling back in horror cut him to the bone.

He backed out of the bathroom and waited until she was finished. He took his turn next and she was gone when he finished with his own shower.

He walked to the kitchen where Michelangelo was laughing. "Did Raph catch you kissing Kitten Leo?" He asked.

Raphael looked at his brothers. There was no sign of Katherine or the girls. His eyes sought out Leonardo. There was a large dark bruise on his jaw. His eyes widened in shock. "Wow. When Kitten said she let you have it Leo, I didn't think she really meant it. Shit, she really did floor you didn't she?" He asked his brother. He had thought he would still be angry with Leonardo for marking Katherine's pale perfect skin, but she was right, she could fight her own battles. Leonardo looked at him, his shame filled eyes shifting away quickly.

Leonardo rubbed his jaw. "Yeah." He said with a nod.

"Wait, Kitten did that?" Michelangelo said with shock that quickly changed to suspicion. "What did you do that she punched you Leo?" Michelangelo growled at him.

"Leave it Mikey." Raphael said to his baby brother.

"But..."Michelangelo protested.

"Trust me Mikey, Kitten was just trying to knock some sense into him. Speaking of Kitten where is she?" He asked.

Michelangelo looked at him. "She's in the library with the girls, they are making lists of things to buy at the store today since the girls have been wearing the same clothes for two days now." He told him.

"Okay." Katherine said walking into the kitchen. "You ready Michelangelo?" She asked his brother.

"Yup." Michelangelo said leaping up off his chair.

"Hey wait, Mikey's going with you?" He asked her.

"Michelangelo wants to pick up a few things. Besides, you really don't want to go shopping for children's clothes all day do you Raphael?" She asked him.

His shoulders slumped but he shook his head. No he didn't. "Look after the girls." She said as she stopped and looked at Leonardo. She leaned over and tipped his head up. She looked at his jaw. "Wow, I really clocked you didn't I?" She asked him.

Leonardo closed his eyes and tried to pull his chin out of her grasp, but she wouldn't let him. "Sorry." She whispered as she kissed the bruise gently.

"Be good." She said to all of them. Raphael glared at his brother who was rubbing his jaw.

He opened his mouth to growl at him but Starlight and Starbright came into the kitchen. "Daddy we're bored, come play." They said as they dragged him and Leonardo out of the kitchen.

* * *

**Donatello** was tinkering with an invention in the third bay of the garage. He was trying to create a device that would be able to detect temporal anomalies. His theory was that if he could find out where the twins had come through, he may be able to tear open a new window to allow the girls to go back home. He had no doubt that if there was another, older version of himself somewhere trying to find the girls, that he would succeed eventually, but he figured there was no harm in trying to help out.

Donatello frowned as Raphael yelled at him from the house. "Donny!"

"What?" He yelled at his older brother.

"We can't find them!" He said in a panicked voice.

"Can't find who?" He asked with abstraction as he ran a series of calculations in the computer that was in the garage.

"The girls, we were playing hide and seek and we can't find them!" Raphael said with panic.

"So, call out olly olly oxen free." He said staring at the data on the screen.

"We did." Raphael growled. "They've been gone for two hours."

Donatello froze. He stood up quickly. "The house if full of secret passages, maybe they managed to find one and get lost. Kitten dragged me through a series of them and I couldn't see a damn thing. I have no idea how she managed to navigate her way through." He followed Raphael into the kitchen. "You are sure you looked everywhere?" He asked Raphael and Leonardo who was pacing in the kitchen with worry.

"This is a big house Donny." Raphael growled.

"We checked the basement, the attic and everywhere in between." Leonardo said rubbing his jaw, eyes worried.

"Okay, well I know where one secret passage is." He said as he grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen drawer and began leading them up the stairs. He walked into Katherine's room and looked behind the bathroom door. He tried to remember what Katherine had done. He fiddled until he found the secret catch. The door opened and he looked into the blackness beyond. He turned on the flashlight illuminating the dusty, spider webbed passage. He led them through a series of passages until he hit a dead end. He frowned. He knew they hadn't walked far before they had hit a set of stairs. So where were they?

Raphael batted a piece of something stringy out of the way. Leonardo knelt down. He touched the floor in confusion. Under a layer of dust was dirt."This passage in made up of dirt." He said in confusion. "I don't mean that there is dirt over a wooden floor, I mean that it is dirt."

"Give me that." Raphael growled taking the flashlight from Donatello's grasp. He looked back the way they had come shinning the light down the passage. "Do those look like tree roots to you?" He asked.

Donatello frowned in confusion but nodded. In fact some of the support beams within the hidden passages looked as if they were made of entire trees. Donatello took the flashlight back. "There should be a set of stairs somewhere." He said ignoring the fact that there seemed to be trees behind the walls of the house. "But I didn't see any, and I know Katherine didn't open another passage to get to the set of stairs." They turned around and searched every nook and cranny of the passageway finding no other way to go but back out. They walked back to the kitchen.

"Well that was a complete waste of time!" Raphael growled. "What do we do now!" He said his voice rising in panic. "And what the hell is with the trees?"

"It looks as if whoever built the house built it literally around the surrounding forest." Donatello said with a shrug. "Are you sure you have checked in all of the closets, under all of the beds, in all of the bathtubs, behind every curtain and every piece of furniture in this house?" Donatello asked them.

"Yes Donny." Leonardo said in frustration.

Donatello puffed out an irritated breath.

Dread crawled deep into his gut and stayed there. Something wasn't right. Worry and apprehension clawed at him, but he didn't feel as though it had anything to do with the girls. It felt more as if...

"Donny?" Leonardo asked in concern.

"Well, we'll split up and look again." Donatello said as his shell cell began to ring.

"Mikey?" He asked as he answered it. He frowned. Michelangelo was panicked and his words were coming out all garbled. "Mikey calm down I can't understand a thing you are saying." He said as he put his cell on speaker phone.

"I'm fine." Katherine's voice came over the phone. "We're almost home." Katherine said as the line went dead.

The feeling of dread lessened and the knots in his gut loosened "That was strange." Donatello said as he looked at his cell and tucked it back into his pocket. They heard the garage door being opened.

They looked at each other. "Katherine is going to think we are the worst substitute fathers ever! We lost them, we lost two 5 year olds." Raphael said as he watched the door open and Katherine step in with several bags in her hands. Michelangelo followed, still wearing his hat, sunglasses and scarf wrapped tightly around his face to disguise himself from the humans. He carried in more bags.

She looked at their faces. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"The girls are missing." Donatello said to her.

"We were playing hide and seek and we can't find them and they won't come out of hiding." Leonardo told her.

Katherine frowned and began going through the bags at her feet. "They are sleeping in the dumb-waiter." She said pointing to a spot on the wall behind her.

There was a sunken panel 3 feet by 3 feet on the wall. She walked over to it pulled the moulding back, grabbed the handle that had been covered by the moulding, and slid open the door. Curled up together were the two girls, sleeping soundly and completely unaware of the panic they had caused. Raphael reached in and grabbed Starbright handing her to Leonardo, and then he pulled Starlight out. They didn't even move.

Donatello looked at the inside to the dumb-waiter. It was actually larger than the 3' by 3' foot opening suggested. Big enough to allow two 5 year olds to curl up together.

"How did you...?" Donatello began to ask her when Michelangelo burst out.

"Kitten's been shot!" He said in panic.

Katherine sighed. "It's just a scratch Michelangelo."

Donatello paled as did his brothers.

"What happened?" Leonardo asked Michelangelo as Donatello grabbed at Katherine. There was blood dripping to the ground, the red droplets standing out starkly against the white tile.

"Where?" Donatello demanded as he pushed Katherine into a chair.

"Left arm." She grumbled. Donatello looked at her left arm. There was a hole in the sleeve of the jacket she wore, and it was already soaked through with blood."There goes another jacket." She said with a grimace.

He quickly stripped the jacket off and looked at her arm. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt. There was a two inch long laceration on her arm. It was definitely deeper than a scratch, but Katherine was right not to panic, it wasn't life threatening. A few stitches and she would be fine.

Michelangelo shoved his first aid kit at him. "Kitten was getting some gas, and she went in to pay, and a couple of guys who looked suspicious walked into the gas station. I followed them in and they were holding up the place. Suddenly the one guy looks at Kitten and says 'There you are.' And he shoots at her. She leaped out of the way, and I managed to knock both of them unconscious. I didn't even know she had been shot until we were nearly home and I saw the blood leaking through her jacket."

"She's fine Mikey." Donatello said stitching up her arm.

Leonardo and Raphael frowned at each other and left the kitchen. They returned a few moments later having put the girls to bed.

Donatello was just finishing wrapping her arm up.

Leonardo knelt down and looked her in the eye. "Who is Kaethryn? Is she why these men were after you?" He asked her.

Katherine stood up angrily. "They weren't after me, they were holding up the gas station. I have no idea why the one guy turned and said that to me."

Leonardo stood up angrily and reached out to grab her arm but stopped. His hand pulled back. It was then Donatello noticed the angry bruise on her left upper arm. His eyes narrowed as he realized that Leonardo had given her the bruise by grabbing her angrily.

"Katherine, if you are in some sort of trouble, we can help you." Leonardo pleaded with her.

She looked at him seriously."Kaethryn is dead." She said as she turned grabbed some of the bags and left the kitchen.

"Are you okay Mikey?" Donatello asked in a concerned voice.

Michelangelo was still pale and looked wretched.

"If she had have been moment too slow, if the guy would have been a better shot, Katherine would be dead." He said, the fear thick in his voice.

Donatello felt horror run through him at the thought of losing Katherine. He stood up and walked to the sink. He grabbed some paper towels and wet them.

"Mikey, Katherine is fine. There is nothing you could have done." Leonardo said putting a comforting hand on Michelangelo's shoulder.

Donatello knelt down and stopped. He looked at the ground in confusion.

"What are you doing Donny?" Leonardo asked him.

"I was going to clean up Katherine's blood, but," He looked around the white tiled floor which was spotlessly clean. "I could have sworn..." He said shaking his head and standing up.

"Raphael you know who Kaethryn is, don't you?" Leonardo asked him.

Raphael looked at him seriously. He shook his head. "Kaethryn is dead Leo. Just leave it at that." He said as he left the kitchen.

Donatello frowned at his retreating brother's back.

* * *

**Raphael** pulled Katherine closer to him. She wrapped herself around him. The girls had slept for the rest of the day and had woken up when it had become dark. They had looked pale and tired. Katherine had told them not to try to wake up during the day. She had pointed out if they messed up the girls sleeping schedule their parents might not be too pleased.

Katherine had bought the girls clothes, shoes, jackets, toothbrushes, brushes, hair ties, hair clips, pjs, and other things he probably forgotten by now. She had also bought Christmas presents for the girls in case they were still with them for Christmas. They had cut down a tree and decorated the house and tree. The girls had asked what Christmas was and Michelangelo had nearly had a heart attack.

_"What do you mean what's Christmas? _

_Katherine looked at the girls. "What do you celebrate" She asked them._

_"Saturnalia!"Their faces lit up and then fell. "But we are missing it." They said sadly._

_"What's Saturnalia?" Leonardo had asked._

_"It's like Christmas but usually lasts 6 days from the 17th of December until the 23rd. It is a celebration of the god Saturn, or if you want to go Greek, Chronos." Katherine said._

_The girls had nodded. "But mommy is the most important so she gets to sit at the head of the table." They said._

___The girls began decorating the tree while they watched. The girls_ _talked to each other excitedly, but at times almost seemed to be talking to someone else._

_Michelangelo had walked over to Katherine and began discussing something with her. She had just laughed and shook her head. Michelangelo had then brushed aside her hair, leaned down and kissed her._

_"Michelangelo, I'm okay, alright." She had said to him as she had pulled away._

Michelangelo had held onto her tightly for much of the rest of the night. He wished he could have been angry or jealous, but Michelangelo still hadn't recovered from earlier in the day, and he couldn't blame his brother for wanting to wrap her in his arms, he had wanted to do the same thing.

Katherine and he had gone to bed after Donatello and Leonardo. Michelangelo had offered to look after the girls again.

"Maybe you should tell them who Kaethryn is." He said to her softly.

She remained silent. He looked at her face and found she had already fallen asleep. He sighed his hands brushing against the bandage Donatello had wrapped around her arm. Michelangelo had been right, less than a second later and she would be gone.

He closed his eyes, an image of Katherine wrapped in Death's arms ripped through his mind along with the image of a card. On the face of the card was a man walking off a cliff, a dog barking on his heels, and the words written below: The Fool.

He tried to open his eyes but he couldn't. _Nonononono_. He thought as he was thrown into Katherine's nightmare.

* * *

Thoughts, opinions, guesses? =)


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 people yay! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter! I think things will start getting a little darker from this point on...we will see.=) And as always Forgottenforever thank you so much for your review!

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Chapter 24

_**Raphael** could smell the musty, dry smell of straw. That was the thing he first noticed. A young girl leaned over the prone form of a sickly woman. Raphael looked around what looked to be a cabin or cottage, wooden walls, wooden floors, very sparsely furnished. There was a kitchen in one corner, a small living room, and the bedroom. There were no walls to divide up the space, it was all just crammed into on large room. He looked again at the woman who lay on a bed of straw. "If you drink this tea three times a day, you will get better." The soft voice of a child said, as she handed the woman a small bag._

_The girl stood at the sound of the door of the house being thrown open. "We've come for the girl Annie!" A large man said as he muscled his way into the house._

_The girl fell back in fear. She had dark black hair, bright moss green eyes, and a fair complexion. Raphael looked in shock at Katherine, because like Kaethryn he knew she was Katherine._

_The man unrolled a scroll. "Kathlynn Faire you are hereby charged with the crimes of witchcraft, heresy and making a covenant with the Devil." The man bellowed._

_Raphael looked at the man as two men came around and grabbed Kathlynn. "You've got to be kidding me, she's like 10, at the most!" Raphael yelled as one of the men grabbed Kathlynn, while the other held down the sickly woman._

_"Robert, she's not a witch!" The woman said weakly._

_The man picked up the bag that Kathlynn had given her. "Trying to finish poisoning this woman." He accused Kathlynn._

_She looked at the man Robert, fear radiating off of her in waves. "It is only and herbal tea to help with her cough."_

_"A likely story. There are 50 pigs dead over at Good Farmer Jacob's place, and 10 girls have gotten ill, all because of you." Robert accused. "Bring her Sam." Robert ordered._

_Kathlynn struggled but there was no way she could stand up against the force of a full grown man._

_Robert stopped just outside of the house. A man who looked like a priest stood in the darkness. "Good work Robert. Bring her to Good Farmer Jacob's place."_

_Robert's brow furrowed in confusion. "But Reverend, I was going to take her to the jail. The magistrate should be along within the week to perform the trial."_

_The Reverend held out a piece of paper. "Her execution warrant has already been sighed by the magistrate. She is to be executed immediately." He said._

_Robert paused but nodded, not bothering to look at the paper. Kathlynn was as white as chalk, but she looked at the Reverend. "I see you." She whispered to him._

_Raphael was dragged along as they threw her in an enclosed wagon._

_The scene shifted. They pulled up outside a farmhouse. There was already a large crowd that had gathered. Torches flickered in the darkness as Kathlynn was unloaded from the wagon and tied to a post._

_Robert looked at the Reverend. "But I thought we only hanged witches." He said to him._

_The Reverend smiled cruelly. "True, but the only way to purify such a young tainted soul, is through a purification only the red hot flame can bring."_

_The people of the village cheered at the little girl being tied to the stake, some even threw things at her. Raphael screamed and shouted at them._

_The Reverend walked up to Kathlynn holding the burning torch in his hand, it's flame illuminating his sadistic smile. "A demon doing God's work." She said to him with a smirk._

_"Hello Kaethryn, I found you." He said smiling maliciously at her._

_"My name isn't Kaethryn." She said to him._

_He laughed. "You shall always be Kaethryn. After all, it was her light I first extinguished. Of course there have been so many after, but I will never forget the look of absolute confusion and resignation on your face. You wished for death that night, rather than suffer mercilessly at the hands of that man. You welcomed death, and with death, you welcomed me."_

_He reached out and touched her face. She just looked at him. "Of course I had to start thinking of new and interesting ways to kill you. Mostly though, at times, the quickest solution was always the best. After all, I am not the only one that hunts your soul through incarnation after incarnation. I however, am not a coward. I do not hide behind accidents and diseases and twists of fate. I care enough to kill you personally." He said rubbing a thumb across her cheek. "Do you remember?" He whispered to her. "Do you remember all of the deaths I gave to you?" He asked as Kathlynn closed her eyes and screamed in agony._

_Raphael felt hismself reel as image after image, death after death ripped through his mind. There didn't seem to be an order, as the images jumped from country to country, and time period through time period. The only thing his horror filled mind noticed as he watched murder after murder, was that through much of it, she was no more than a child. Kaethryn had been the oldest of all of her incarnations._

_He couldn't scream anymore, couldn't feel anything anymore as his mind shut down, turned off the horror and the pain and agony because it was too much. He looked at the Reverend's face glowing red in the light, features stretched and contorted so that a red skinned demon looked back at her. "And those are only the lives that I helped take. Imagine all of the lives taken from you by THEM." He said as he put the torch to the wood stacked at her feet._

_"Goodbye Kaethryn, until we meet again, and we will meet again." He said seriously, all joking and good humour leaving his face. He grimly watched as she began to cough through the smoke. "One day. One day soon, he will want you." He said wretchedly._

_"What are you waiting for!" Kathlynn yelled. It looked as if she was staring right at him. "What are you waiting for!" She screamed._

* * *

**Donatello's** eyes snapped open. Dread clawed and ripped through his stomach. He began coughing as his lungs burned. He stumbled to the bathroom. He took a deep painful breath. Something was terribly wrong, but he wasn't sure what it was. It was then that he smelled the first traces of smoke.

* * *

**Michelangelo** yawned as he walked down the hall to his bedroom. He had just finished putting Starlight and Starbright to bed. They were currently comatose at the moment their sleep was so deep. The sun was just starting to make its way over the horizon and he was glad because it had been a very long night.

Michelangelo stopped. Listening. He thought he had heard something. He frowned. _Why did it smell like a campfire?_ He wondered.

He tried to figure out where the smell was coming from_. Had Leonardo left the fire burning in the library? _He wondered as he walked back down the hall towards the stairs. That is when he saw the smoke trickling out from underneath Katherine's door. He grabbed the door handle and turned. The room was full of smoke. He covered his nostrils and mouth peering through the smoke, and waved it away. He couldn't see where the fire was coming from but he could just see the bed through the smoke. He ran to the bed. Raphael was holding Katherine tightly, his face a mask of agony. He reached out and shook his big brother. "Wake up!" He yelled at him as he tried to see where the smoke was coming from.

"Raphael, wake up!" He screamed in his brother's ear. Raphael blearily opened his eyes but seemed dazed or still too deep in sleep to understand what was going on. "We have to get out of here! There's a fire!" He yelled at his brother.

"Kaeth...need...need...wake up." Raphael managed to say and he goy his brother to sit up. Michelangelo then ran to the other side of the bed and began shaking Katherine roughly. "Wake up!" He yelled at her. But she didn't wake. "Wake up!" He shook her again as Leonardo and Donatello ran into the room.

"What's going on in here?" Leonardo shouted over his pleas for Katherine to wake up.

"I can't get Katherine to wake up and I can't find the fire!" Michelangelo said as Leonardo strode to the bed. He grabbed Raphael by the shoulder.

Katherine suddenly sat up and began coughing and wheezing. Then she started to cry. She began to thrash as Michelangelo and Donatello tried to hold her down.

"I'm burning, I'm burning!" She screamed, through the coughing. Her breaths were coming rapidly as if she could not get enough air.

"Katherine you're okay you aren't burning." Donatello said trying to calm her. But she continued to thrash.

"My legs!" She screamed. Donatello grabbed the sheets around her legs and pulled them off. Fire erupted around her legs, her pants were on fire.

"Shit!" Donatello exclaimed as he covered her legs and grabbed her pulling her and all of the covers off the bed. He ran with her into the bathroom. He leapt into the tub turning the taps on as he placed her legs under the tap. She finally stopped thrashing, as she lapsed into unconsciousness. Donatello was holding her tightly against him. Michelangelo looked at his grim brother. "Mikey take her to my room, grab towels, wet them with cold water and put them on her legs, do not try to remove her pants. Go downstairs and grab the first aid kit from the kitchen, and grab a jar of honey. Go, now!" His brother ordered.

Michelangelo nodded grabbing Katherine out of his brother's arms, and running as gently as he could to Donatello's room.

* * *

**Donatello** climbed from the tub, his whole body was shaking with fear. He shoved away the feelings because if he panicked he would break down. He walked into the empty room, pulled open the window and began letting the smoke out. He walked to the closet and pulled out the oxygen tank Katherine had used to save his life, now he hoped use it to save hers.

Donatello strode out of the room. Leonardo and Raphael were in the hallway. Leonardo was holding Raphael up. Raphael looked grey, his body looked clammy and his breathing was quick and shallow, eyes glassy and unseeing. "He's in shock." Leonardo said to him.

"Take him to your room, watch him, keep him warm, he needs to rest." Donatello said to him.

Leonardo nodded. "Donny what...?" He asked.

Donatello shook his head. "Leo, Katherine could still die." He said grimly as he dashed to his room.

Katherine lay pale and unmoving on his bed. Michelangelo was kneeling on the floor, hand gripping hers tightly. Towels covered her legs. He moved Michelangelo out of the way and put the mask over her face, turning it on and hoping Katherine hadn't used the whole tank on him.

He heard the sound of oxygen hissing into the mask. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to Katherine's legs. He removed the towels and looked at the charred remains of her pants.

"How could a fire burn under the covers Donny?" Michelangelo whispered to him. "And if the fire was burning her, why didn't she wake up, why didn't Raph wake up when the room filled with smoke?" His voice sounded lost, worried and frightened.

"I don't know Mikey." He said as he began cutting her pants away. Her legs were burned but the burns did not appear to be serious. "The burns aren't that bad Mikey." He said breathing a sigh of relief, but it was the smoke inhalation he worried about.

He checked to make sure the burns had cooled, and finding they had, slathered honey on all of her burns which covered her calves in angry red splotches. He then gently wrapped her legs with bandages and covered her with the blankets to keep her warm and comfortable.

"Mikey go to Leo's room, see if Raph is coughing." He ordered his little brother. Michelangelo stood and ran from the room. He returned a moment later saying that Raphael was asleep and not coughing.

Donatello nodded. Katherine was either unconscious or asleep he wasn't sure.

"Is this why you feared sleep so much?" He asked her as he stroked her hair gently.

He looked at Michelangelo who was fidgeting. "Go to Leo's room, tell him to get me if Raph wakes up, tell him to watch him. After that go check on the girls, make sure they are okay, then get some rest. I will watch Katherine and promise I will get you if anything changes." He said to his brother who opened his mouth to protest. "You will need to be alert for the girls if they wake up, keep them away as best you can." He said reasonably.

Michelangelo's shoulders sagged in defeat, but he nodded.

Donatello pulled up a chair and took her hand in his.

Katherine opened her eyes and looked at him. "Don't make him remember." She whispered as her eyes closed again.

Donatello looked at her in shock. "What happened?" He asked her softly even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

He looked at her pale face. _What had happened?_ He wondered. He wondered then if it was the smell of the smoke that had woken him from his sleep, or if it was something else that had tried to warn him that Katherine was in danger?

A few hours later Leonardo ran into Donatello's room. "Raph's awake." He said breathlessly. Donatello leapt up. "Should I stay with her?" Leonardo asked.

Donatello paused but shook his head. They would only be gone a moment. "We have to know what's been going on, grab Mikey." He said as he took one last look at Katherine and walked to his older brother's room.

Raphael was sitting up in bed looking miserable. "How do you feel?" Donatello asked him checking over his brother's vitals.

"How do you think I feel?" Raphael growled.

Michelangelo and Leonardo came into the room. "Can you tell us what happened?" Donatello asked gently.

Raphael shook his head. "Raphael this is not the time to be keeping things from us, Katherine was almost killed!" Leonardo yelled at him.

Raphael paled. "Katherine. Where is she, what happened!" He yelled as he tried to get out of bed.

Donatello looked at Leonardo in confusion. "She has mild burns to her legs, but it is the smoke inhalation I am more concerned about. I have hooked her up to oxygen so hopefully she will be fine. You were in shock so I need you to lie back down and tell us everything you remember."

Raphael looked at his brother agony in his face as he closed his eyes. "I can't...I don't remember." He whispered.

"Take your time Raph. Whatever happened was enough to throw you body into shock. Just take it slow and tell us what happened from the beginning." Donatello proded gently.

"We went to bed like we usually do." He said in a whisper.

"We?" Leonardo asked with a growl.

Michelangelo hit him in the shoulder. "Quiet Leo." He growled.

"I was worried after what had happened today. I told her maybe she should tell you who Kaethryn was, but when I looked down at her, she was already asleep, which was a little strange. I closed my eyes and I couldn't wake up." He said miserably. "She...it happened again."

"What happened again, and who is Kaethryn?" Leonardo demanded.

"Leo if you can't play nice go outside." Donatello growled at his older brother. He wasn't happy to learn that Raphael and Katherine were sleeping together either, but that was not important at the moment. Leonardo huffed out a frustrated breath and crossed his arms.

"She died." He said wretchedly, as if the words were dragged from his throat.

"Who died?" Leonardo said very evenly.

"Kitten, the night that Donny woke up...Kitten...I don't know how long she had stopped breathing for, how long her heart had stopped, but she was dead, for a few minutes at least, until I managed to get her breathing again, get her heart beating again." Raphael said wretchedly.

"What the hell happened Raph, and why didn't you tell us?" Leonardo yelled at him.

"She drowned." He said softly.

"You mean she had a bath and passed out?" Donatello asked in confusion.

"No she drowned in her sleep, in her bed." Raphael said looking at his hands. He took a deep breath.

"That doesn't make any sense Raph! Do you hear yourself!" Leonardo yelled.

"I know what happened Leo!" Raphael closed his eyes.

"Raph, how the hell did she drown?" Leoanrdo roared.

"Something shoved a sword through her and threw her off a cliff, that's how!" Raphael yelled at him.

"Raphael are you listening to yourself you aren't making any sense at all!" Leonardo screamed in frustration.

"She was having a nightmare." He began. "I just reached out to wake her up, and she pulled me into her nightmare." He whispered. "Only it was so much more than just a bad dream, it was real. Donny did something when he called her Kaethryn, like...I don't know, like he triggered a memory, only it wasn't Katherine's memory, it was Kaethryn's memory, but I think Kaethryn _is_ Katherine." He said trying to explain the unexplainable.

"That makes no sense, are you saying Katherine isn't Katherine." Leonardo asked in confusion.

"No, Katherine is Katherine. Kaethryn..." He tried to explain it. "Past life maybe, I don't know, Kaethryn was around when they still travelled by horses and lived in big draffy castles and talked in a language I have never heard before, but I could understand every damn word they said anyway."

"Raph are you sure you weren't having a really bad dream?" Donatello asked him gently.

"A bad dream, where Kaethryn who is Katherine, is killed by some _thing, _and tossed into the sea, and when I wake up she is blue and I pump sea water out of her lungs." He yelled at his brother in frustration.

"Horses, sea water and blood."Michelangelo said in a soft voice.

"I have no idea what happened, but whatever _that_ was, I never wanted to see anything or experience anything like that again, and neither did she." Raphael finished.

"So that is why you didn't sleep for three days. You were both too afraid it was going to happen again." Donatello said to him.

"Yeah. She's was still nervous about sleeping, and so was I." Raphael said with a slight nod.

Leonardo closed his eyes in acknowledgement. "So why didn't you tell us she almost died Raph?" He asked angrily

Raphael glared at his brother. "What would you have had me do Fearless? Tell you that Katherine managed to make her dream real enough to kill her after Donny triggered the whole damn thing? Katherine didn't want Donny to know because it would have hurt him." Raphael growled. "Is that really what you wanted us to do? Besides, you ever peeked into someone's head Leo? Ever seen someone's dreams up close and personal? Those are supposed to be private." He said to him.

Donatello felt himself pale. It was his fault. It was all happening because of something he had done. "What happened tonight Raph?" Donatello asked quietly.

Raphael looked away. "I couldn't wake up. I was dragged into another memory, but...there was a man, and flames." Raphael closed his eyes trying desperately to remember what he had forgotten.

"Raph. Whatever you saw caused you to go into shock. Don't push yourself, okay." Donatello said gently.

"She was screaming at me, but I couldn't wake up." Raphael said opening his eyes.

"Who was screaming at you?" Donatello asked.

"Kathlynn, they were..." Raphael swallowed

Raphael's breaths became shorter, faster. He clutched his blankets to him like a lifeline. His eyes stared at nothingness as he talked.

"Raphael." Donatello said in concern.

"He was a monster. A demon wearing a man's face. The flames, she was screaming..." Raphael was near panic.

"Raphael stop, please stop." He begged his brother. His mind was pushing too hard, he was going to go into shock again. Raphael closed his eyes and slumped back.

Donatello leapt forward and adjusted Raphael so he would be more comfortable.

"Is he okay Donny?" Leonardo asked softly.

Donatello frowned. "I don't know Leo." He told his brother truthfully. "I don't know what happened. All we know is that Raph thinks Katherine was Kaethryn, and that whatever happened she was able to drag Raphael into her nightmare and manifest it to a degree that it became real, real enough to affect her in the waking world. But whatever happened, we shouldn't try to force anymore information out of him. Katherine doesn't want us to make him remember." Donatello said to his brothers. "She woke for a split second and told me 'don't make him remember. Whatever it is, if we force him to remember, it may..." He stopped not wanting to think of the possibility.

"May what Donny?" Leonardo asked quietly.

"His mind may never recover." He said with worry as he looked at his sleeping brother.

"What do you mean his mind may never recover? Are you saying that...?" Leonardo demanded.

"Whatever it was, was so horrifying, so traumatic, that it is possible his mind may break." Donatello said wretchedly.

Leonardo and Michelangelo looked at Raphael, their faces looking grey. Leonardo's eyes widened. "Katherine?" He asked.

Donatello shook his head. "I don't know Leo. Maybe she will forget as well. If it is bad enough for Raphael to go into shock, I would imagine it could destroy Katherine's mind as well." He said grimly. "I won't know anything until she wakes up."

* * *

Poor Raph, poor Katherine, but what does it all mean! LOL guess you will have to keep reading to find out!=)


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 please enjoy! =)

* * *

Chapter 25

**Raphael** opened his eyes. It was dark in his room. He frowned_. How had he gotten to his room? _He wondered_. Hadn't he been sleeping with Katherine?_ He took a look around the room. In the dark he couldn't make out any details. The door opened and he looked at Michelangelo in confusion as he walked into his room.

"Mikey how'd I end up in my room?" He asked in confusion. "Where's Katherine?" He asked in panic. "She isn't still sleeping is she?" He looked at his little brother who looked at him in shock. He tossed the covers aside and stood.

"Raph, maybe you had better sit down." Michelangelo said calmly.

"What happened to her?" Raphael whispered.

"Raph, Katherine is...fine." Michelangelo said, but Raphael noticed the pause.

"Mikey..." He growled.

"Just..." Michelangelo held out his arms. "Donny, Raph's up!" He yelled over his shoulder.

"Mikey..." Raphael growled a cold finger of worry sliding down his back.

Michelangelo walked to Donatello as he entered the room, whispered something in his ear and Donatello nodded.

"Donny, Mikey's freaking me out, where is Kitten, is she okay?" He tried walking past his brother.

"Katherine is...resting. You've been asleep for most of the day Raph, I want you to just sit for a minute while I check all of your vitals." Donatello said soothingly.

"I don't want you to check my anything. I want to go see Kitten Donny." He snapped at his brother in frustration.

"You can see her, after I make sure you're okay." Donatello said pushing him back onto the bed. He grumbled but let his brother poke and prod at him for a few minutes.

"You done?" He asked as Donatello stood back and nodded at Michelangelo. Donatello nodded. "Where is she Donny?" He asked as he strode out of his room. He did a double take as he realized he was in Leonardo's room. He frowned.

"She's in my room." Donatello said quietly.

Raphael stopped. He frowned. "Why is she in your room Donny?" He asked. His brother just gave a shrug.

Raphael walked to Donatello's door and opened it. He stopped in the doorway. Katherine had an oxygen mask over her face and he could barely even make her out she was so pale against the white sheets.

"Donny, what happened?" He whispered as he rushed to her side. "How did I end up in Leo's room, why is she here?" He questioned as dread rolled through him. "Something happened." He said wretchedly as he grabbed at a pale hand. He held her cold limp hand in his and looked at her.

"Yes, something happened. I was just about to take her mask off. She seems to be breathing better now." Donatello said as he moved him out of the way, removing the mask from her face.

"What happened Donny?" He asked in a barely audible, horrified whisper.

"We will have to ask Katherine when she wakes up." Donatello said patting him gently on the shoulder.

"All I remember is falling asleep. I don't remember anything after that." Raphael said looking at Donatello.

"Well, we won't know anything until she wakes up. You had better go see the girls, they have been asking about you constantly and we are trying to keep them away from Kitten, she needs to rest." Donatello said shooing him out of the room. "Don't worry, I'll get you if Kitten wakes up." Donatello said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Raphael nodded as he walked down the hall to try to find Starlight and Starbright.

He found them in the library with Leonardo. Leonardo looked up at him and froze. He had been reading the girls a story, each was sitting curled up on his lap.

"Daddy!" Starlight said as she leapt from Leonardo's lap. She ran to him and he gave her a hug, lifting her off the ground. "How do you feel? Daddy Leo says you were sleeping cause you weren't feeling good, but you look fine." She said to him.

He smiled down at her bright face. "I'm fine." He said. "Hey, how about you and your sister go and pick out a movie for us to watch, and I'll be right there. I just need to have a talk with Daddy Leo, okay?" He said to them.

They shrugged and nodded leaving him with his older brother who closed the book he had been reading to them. "Alice in Wonderland?" He asked looking at the book in his hand.

"I believed it to be apt." Leonardo said standing up and placing the book on the table by the chair. "Besides the library doesn't have too many children's books." He said with a shrug.

Raphael frowned at his brother. Leonardo was reserved. He searched his brother's face and found anger, hurt, betrayal and under all of these emotions, worry. He swallowed. "All I remember is sleeping Leo. I don't remember anything else. Donny said we won't know what happened until Katherine wakes up. I want her to tell you about Kaethryn, about what happened the night Donny woke up, but...I don't want to hurt Donny. It involves him and Katherine doesn't want him to blame himself for..." Raphael cut himself off before he said too much. Leonardo gave him a surprised look but nodded as he looked at the book again. "Did I protect her Leo?" He asked softly.

Leonardo's eyes widened as he looked at him. "I just...I was scared, and I couldn't let her face whatever she had to face alone. But, I think I failed her, I think...Did she face it alone?" He asked miserably.

Leonardo was silent. "I don't know Raph. I wish I could tell you, but I don't know." He said truthfully.

He looked away from his brother's angry, yet sad, gaze. "Nothing happened between us Leo. We just slept." He said to his brother.

Leonardo closed his eyes. "I know." He said to him as he strode towards the door.

"Are we good Leo?" Raphael asked him. He had realized as soon as he had seen the hurt and betrayal in his brother's eyes, that he never wanted to be the one to put that look onto his brother's face again.

Leonardo stopped at the door, his hand on the handle. "I don't know yet Raph." He said softly.

* * *

**Leonardo** left the library. He felt hurt and betrayed, but knew he didn't have the right to feel the way he was. He had no claim on Katherine, not really. He wasn't even sure what the hell they were doing.

The problem was that he couldn't blame his brother for his actions. Katherine was right. The knowledge that somehow Donatello triggered whatever had happened would, and had, hurt Donatello. Donatello was again blaming himself for Katherine's current state.

Leonardo began walking to the training room, he needed to clear his head. He needed to rid himself or the anger he felt towards his brother. The problem was that if it had been he that night and not Raphael, he would have done exactly the same thing. He would have slept in her bed to watch over her, made sure that he was able to wake her from nightmares so real they could kill her; and he would have done it with the knowledge that if his brothers ever found out, they would believe that he had betrayed them, somehow used the incident to further his relationship with her.

Leonardo pulled out his swords and began a series of practice routines. He was also angry because he was unable to confront Raphael over what had happened last night. Donatello strongly advised them against giving him any information or repeating anything Raphael had said to them last night. Donatello believed that Raphael may bring his memories to the surface and this was something they could not let him do.

Leonardo paused. His heart hammered in his chest his breathing was laboured and sweat trickled down his sides and neck. He closed his eyes in despair. The thought that Katherine had gone through something so traumatic that it would destroy her mind terrified him. It terrified him that Raphael's sanity was now sitting on the brink, where one tiny shove could push him over.

He screamed in frustration as his swords arched down, slicing through a training dummy. Leonardo closed his eyes. Now he owed Katherine a new training dummy.

He opened his eyes.

Donatello burst into the room. His eyes were wide with panic, his breathing, heavy. "She's gone." He said in a strained voice.

"Who's gone?" He asked sheathing his swords as icy fingers trickled over his skin.

"Katherine. I left her alone for a few hours. She was sleeping soundly and I didn't think she would wake anytime soon. Mikey was checking in on her every once in a while, but he got distracted playing with the girls and when he realized it had been two hours since he checked on her, he went to my room and found it empty. Mikey is keeping Raph and the girls distracted, but you need to help me find her!"

Leonardo looked at his younger brother grimly. "You start in the attic, I'll take the basement, we'll work our way through the house. Are her vehicles still here?" He asked.

Donatello nodded. "I was in the garage she didn't go through that way and we checked the front door and the back door, there are no footprints in the snow so she is still somewhere in the house."

Leonardo nodded. "Let's go." He said with determination. It wasn't like her to just disappear.

Two hours later they were still no closer to finding Katherine. They had searched everywhere while trying to keep Raphael from knowing what it was they were doing. Donatello had then dragged him into Katherine's room. The room still smelled of smoke and there were scorch marks on the bed where she had started to burn.

"What's happening to her Donny?" He asked as his fingers brushed the burnt bedding.

"I wish I knew Leo. I'm not very good at things that defy logic. And this completely defies logic and the laws of physics." He said with a wretched shake of his head. "I did this." He whispered.

"Donny, don't start this again. It wasn't as if you said Kaethryn's name on purpose, and even if you had, it isn't as if any of us could have known of the consequences of your doing so." Leonardo pointed out reasonably.

Donatello's shoulders slumped. "I know, and I know that no matter what, Katherine would never blame me, but I don't even know where the name came from. And according to Raphael it wasn't a nightmare, but a memory, but a past life memory? That is so hard to believe. And why, if these really are memories of a past life, would they turn deadly?" Donatello asked in frustration. "None of this makes any sense." He clenched his fists in frustrated anger.

"Are we looking through the passage?"Leonardo asked trying to distract his brother.

Donatello blew out a breath. "Yes. It is the only place we haven't looked. But there could be other passages we haven't looked through because we don't even know where they are. Not to mention the fact that I know there were a set of steps leading down to the main floor and we couldn't find them last time." Donatello walked to the bathroom and opened the secret door.

The darkness behind the door was somehow even more ominous than before. Donatello turned on the flashlight shining it down the passage. They walked all the way to the end without any luck finding either Katherine, or the stairway that Donatello swore was in the passage. They walked back and checked the walls of the passage again looking for anything that may open another passage but they had no success. "I know she's in here somewhere Leo. I can feel it. She's right through here." He insisted as they both stared at the wall.

"Are you looking for mommy?" A child's voice said from behind them.

Leonardo jumped, startled and surprised. Starbright stood looking at him. "How did you get in here?" He asked.

Starbright frowned. "Through the door." She said pointing to the open door that was illuminating part of the passageway.

Leonardo closed his eyes. "Where is your sister?" He asked, opening his eyes.

"She is with Daddy Raph and Daddy Mikey. The man doesn't want you to find mommy." She said to him.

Leonardo felt his blood run cold. He slowly knelt down in front of her. "What man?" He asked, fear leaking into his voice.

"The man that always follows mommy around." She said with a shrug.

"Where does this man follow mommy?" Leonardo asked his hands grabbing Starbright's.

"He's always with mommy. He is always standing behind her, always watching." She said.

Leonardo swallowed through a throat that was too tight, a mouth that was too dry. "This man did something to mommy?" He asked.

"He's waiting, and he doesn't want you to stop her. He's the one that keeps giving mommy the card. I think he's trying to tell her something." She said to him with a shrug.

"What has he said to you?" He asked, trying to stop the creeping dread that was threatening to overwhelm him.

"He doesn't talk, but he is hiding mommy from you, so he must not want you to find her. He is worried. But I can show you where mommy is." She said to him.

"You know where she is?" He asked in surprise.

"Mommy is in the heart of the house." She said to him.

"Show us." He said softly as he stood.

She continued to hold his hand and reached out to take Donatello's. Donatello was looking grey and he knew he must not be looking much better. Starbright turned them to face the wall they had been staring at in frustration, but now it wasn't a wall, there was a staircase that led down.

Leonardo swallowed and began walking down the steps.

Halfway down the stairway he stopped. He looked down at his feet which were buried in lush green grass. He looked at the walls which again seemed to be made of whole trees and wooden boards, but these trees had branches and leaves.

Starbright pulled them along until they reached a heavy wooden door. The door had been stained a deep burgundy colour and was carved with what looked to be runes. "Donny can you read this?" He asked.

"It just says 'heart'" Starbright said as she let go of their hands and turned the door handle pushing open the door.

They walked into the room that was lit by lamps. Katherine was sitting on a golden couch furiously drawing and talking to herself. Scattered around the room and plastered on the walls were drawings. Hundreds and hundreds of sketches of what looked to be children.

"Stop crying and tell me." Katherine said to herself. She stared in front of her intently as her pencil moved furiously across the page. She flipped the page over and began writing. "Okay next." She said. "No not you, you lot stay there until I am finished with this line, then I will get around to you. " She said with irritation.

"Starbright, can you see who your mommy is talking to?" He said as he looked around the room with dawning realization and horror.

Starbright shook her head. "But the man is standing behind mommy watching her."

Leonardo looked behind Katherine but didn't see anything. He looked at Donatello who was looking ill. "What do we do Donny?" He whispered to his brother. "Has she...?" He couldn't finish his question.

Donatello looked around him and closed his eyes in acknowledgement of his question. Donatello believed that Katherine's mind had broken with whatever it was she had seen, whatever it was that she had experienced.

"Just a minute." She said to someone in front of her. Katherine turned her attention to them. "Raphael had better not be with you." She growled at them in irritation.

"No Raphael is with Mikey and Starlight." Donatello said soothingly.

Leonardo bent down and picked up one of the pieces of paper that was laying on the floor. A girl around Starlight and Starbright's age stared back at them. The sketch was well done in pencil, but she looked sad. He turned the paper over and Leonardo read details. There was a name Katelyn Balliol, age 5, throat slit by uncle.

Leonardo looked at the papers that littered the floor. He reached down and picked up a handful. They were all girls ranging in age from 2 years old to around 10 at the most. All had been murdered. Leonardo felt his hands shake as the papers fluttered to the floor.

Is this what Raphael had seen, the murder of hundreds upon hundreds of little girls? Hundreds upon hundreds of little girls with Katherine's eyes?

Even thought the sketches were in black and white, and the faces changed and the colour of the hair and skin was either lighter or darker, the eyes were always the same.

"Donny." He said in horror.

Donatello walked over to Katherine and put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't even acknowledge him as she continued to draw.

"Katherine you have to stop." He said as he tried to still her hands.

"I can't stop Donatello. Not until I am finished." She said flipping the paper over and madly scribbling down the girl in the drawing's information. "If I stop they will overwhelm me and drive me insane." She said to him.

"There is no one here." Donatello said as he glanced behind him looking at the empty space where a man apparently stood.

"I know." She said. "They were all crying and screaming in my head and I had to make them stop. So I am organizing them in my mind. I am using my considerable imagination to imagine two lines of children. The ones on the right are all of those murdered by him." She pointed to a sketch of the stereotypical devil. "Of course that is his true form, not the form he murdered me...them in." She pointed to her left. "And that line is for the girls murdered by THEM."

"Who is them?" Donatello asked soothingly. Donatello obviously did not believe what she was saying.

She shrugged. "I don't know." She said. "That is what I am trying to figure out."

"Katherine is there someone standing behind you?" Leonardo asked.

Katherine didn't even look over her shoulder. "Yes. Can you see him?" She asked looking at him curiously.

"No, but Starbright says she can see him." Leonardo said looking at Starbright who was picking up the drawings and putting them into piles.

Katherine looked at Starbright and nodded. "Quit looking at me as if you believe I need a padded room and a straight jacket Donatello. I am not insane, but if I let them continue to talk in my head, their voices will overwhelm me and I _will _go insane." She said as she dropped another piece of paper to the ground.

"Raph?" Donatello asked her.

She closed her eyes and looked at Donatello. "If Raphael remembers what he saw I do not believe his mind will be able to take the strain of seeing me murdered as a child nearly a thousand times. He saw every single murder and even though I experienced every single murder, because it _was_ me, I can handle the strain. Not being able to save me will rip Raphael apart."

"You truly believe that all of these girls were you?" Leonardo asked.

"Mommy's really old." Starbright said to her. "You have mommy's eyes now." She said walking over to Katherine and crawling into her lap.

"What do you mean? Her eyes were always green." Leonardo said in confusion.

Starbright shook her head. "Mommy's eyes are old and sad. And now, mommy has the same eyes." She said taking Katherine's face in her tiny hands and looking deep into her eyes.

"Can't you see that Daddy Donny?" She asked.

Donatello took Katherine's face in his hands and peered deeply into her eyes. Donatello let go of Katherine's face and Leonardo peered into her moss green eyes. There had always been something unnerving about really looking into Katherine's eyes. Mostly because it was as if she was able to peer right into his very soul, stripping him of all of his defences, leaving him bare, and unprotected. Now it was no less unnerving, but now there was a sadness and a knowledge within them that they had not possessed before. It was then that he realized that her eyes looked more like his, more like his brother's eyes. His jaded eyes looked at a the world filled with violence and hate. His innocence had been stripped away so long ago, and now that is what her eyes were missing. Katherine's eyes had been stripped of their innocence.

"What happened Katherine?" He asked her gently.

"I was forced into a memory. Kathlynn Faire's memory." She said pulling out a drawing of a girl about 10 years old. "She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. But the dreams became real, just like when I remembered Kaethryn's memory." She pulled out a picture of a girl that was about 13 or 14 years old who was Katherine's image exactly.

"Kaethryn was the oldest at 14 when she was killed, but Kathlynn was probably the most powerful. I accidently pulled Raphael into both dreams or memories I suppose. However during Kathlynn's memory that monster," She said pointing to the sketch of the devil, "Made Kathlynn remember all of the times that he killed her. Incarnation through incarnation. He said. But he also said that he was not the only one who hunted her soul...my soul. But he said that at least he cared enough to kill me with his own hand, not just use accidents and twists of fate to kill me." She said to them.

Leonardo felt all of the blood drain from his face. He looked to Donatello who came to the same conclusion. There had been way too many freak accidents that had almost taken Katherine's life. Something was trying to kill her.

"I don't understand this." Donatello said waving to the room.

Katherine looked at him. "I have to organize the memories in some way. By taking each image and the memories that go along with the image, I can organize them into a book in my head. Once they are bound in a book or several books, their voices will be silenced because to me they will just become part of a story. Then I will place all of the books into a library where I can close the door and lock it. By doing this I should be able to keep my sanity." She said to Donatello. She looked at the empty space in front of her. "This will take some time, but know that I am fine. When I am done this I want you all to take the girls and go back to the lair."

Leonardo looked at her in confusion. "Why?" He asked as he began to get where her mind was going.

"Because I am not going to put you and the girls in danger. If something is after me I don't want you to get in its way." She said to him.

Leonardo glared down at her. "You don't get to decided my future or my fate, I do. If I become a target because of who you are, then I will take that chance." He growled at her, throwing the words she had angrily thrown at him back in her face.

She looked at him and laughed. "Hoist by my own petard, but you see Leonardo I have extra leverage." She said holding Starbright close. "Your life yes, hers, no."

He looked at Starbright. She was right. He couldn't let her face danger alone, but he couldn't risk the girls. He growled at her in frustration.

"But mommy we can't leave." Starbright said from her lap.

"Sweetheart listen to me. It is too dangerous..." She began.

Starbright shook her head. "He's trying to protect you, but...mommy's always strongest when she is protecting all of those she loves. If we leave, you won't be as strong. Daddy always says that we are stronger together than apart."

Leonardo blinked in surprise. That was something he always preached to his brothers.

Katherine frowned. "Who is trying to protect me?" She asked.

"Him." She said pointing behind the couch. "He's trying real hard but he isn't that strong." She said.

"Wait." Katherine said her mind thinking furiously. "Do you know who or what he is?" She asked.

Starbright frowned. "Well..." She paused. "Sometimes, Places of Power...are so much _more_."

"How do you know all of this?" She asked.

She shrugged. "He feels almost like Castellum." She said.

"Who is Castellum?" Donatello asked.

"He's the physical form of the Castle where we live. You aren't going to send us away are you mommy?" She pleaded to her.

Leonardo was already shaking his head. "We aren't going anywhere sweetheart. Except maybe out of here. Katherine?" He asked her.

She looked at him steadily. "I'm almost done. I'll be out in a bit and I will go and talk to Raphael." She said to him.

Leonardo nodded. Starbright slid off Katherine's lap. "Come on daddy." She said happily as she grabbed his hand.

"I'll stay with her Leo." Donatello said as he began grabbing at papers and putting them into a pile.

He watched as Katherine began drawing again. He felt a wave of relief wash through him as he realized that her mind had not broken, but there was something after her. This filled his heart with dread.


	26. Chapter 26

A big thank you to Forgottenforever for being awsome and reviewing this story so much!

Hope everyone enjoys this Chapter! =)

* * *

Chapter 26

**Donatello** looked at Katherine as she finished up with her drawings. They were neatly stacked and arranged in some sort of order. "Do you really believe I am not insane Donatello?"Katherine asked him.

He looked at her. "All of this is so outside of anything that I can begin to grasp logically." He said to her.

"That was not an answer Donatello." She said, voice conveying slight hurt.

He blew out a breath. "I believe you are completely sane." He said to her. "Unfortunately the situation you find yourself in, is not. I am trying to wrap my mind around the fact that your house is...something, and you now have the memories of hundreds upon hundreds of past lives securely locked up behind door and key in your mind. Starbright is somehow partially in the loop of what is going on, and something and someones out there are trying to kill you for reasons we don't know." He said in frustration.

She sat down beside him on the couch. She reached out and touched his cheek. "I know." She said softly.

"Katherine, I love you." He said as he leaned into her. He kissed her gently then she pulled back and stood.

His shell cell started to ring. "Hello?" He answered the phone.

"Donny?" April's voice said over the phone.

"Hey April, what's up?" He asked her as he reached out and grabbed Katherine's hand, hauling her into his lap. She put her arms around his neck and lay her head against his shoulder.

"Casey and I are back in New York. Where are you, the lair is empty?" April asked into the phone.

Katherine reached out and pulled the phone from his grasp. "Hello April this is Katherine. They are all here at my place. If you and Casey would like, you may come here, they are staying here for Christmas, and if you do not have any other Christmas plans you are more than welcome to stay and have Christmas with us as well." She said with a smile.

"Oh, um, alright. We don't have any other Christmas plans, so I suppose we could stay for Christmas." April's voice came out a little shocked and unsure.

"Great then I guess we will see you tomorrow." Katherine said as she gave April directions. "It is very easy to find, there is a cemetery on the left, just hang a right." She hung up the phone and handed it back to him.

He looked at her in confusion. "What happened to not wanting to put anyone in danger?" He asked her.

"Casey and April are your friends are they not?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"Well then you obviously believe that they are capable of taking care of themselves. If they are able to take care of themselves for the length of time they are here, they will be able to offer you and the girls a certain amount of protection." She said with a shrug.

Donatello narrowed his eyes. "So basically you are letting them come here because you want them to protect us and the girls if need be."

"Yes. Also I would think that you would want to see your friends." She said brushing the side of his cheek with her hand.

He brushed her cheek and lay her down on the couch. He kissed her soundly. Finally he pulled away before he got too carried away and began stripping her of her clothes.

"I need to talk to Raphael." She whispered to him.

"I know." He growled. She smiled at him and stood. "Katherine?" He asked her. She looked at him, tipping her head to the side in question. "Do you think you will ever be able to choose me?" He asked her as he stood pulling her in close. He brushed a stray lock of white hair behind her ear.

She paused. She touched his cheek gently. "I don't know Donatello." She whispered.

Donatello closed his eyes in pain. He wanted her to be his. He didn't want to have to share her, but...He would share her for now. He opened his eyes. " You love me." He said to her.

"With everything that I am." She said softly.

He nodded with determination. He would just have to convince her that no matter what, he wasn't going to let her go.

"Let's go." He said as he led her from the room. He stopped at the door. Leonardo had taken the flashlight. Katherine chuckled. She let go of his hand, walked back into the room and blew out the lamps plunging them into darkness. He felt her take his hand and led him up the stairs.

* * *

**Raphael** looked up from the game he was playing with the girls. Apparently they liked chess, and sadly Starlight was beating him soundly. Not that he was a chess player at all, he had had to ask Starlight and Starbright how to play, but it was still upsetting to be beaten by a 5 year old.

Katherine and Donatello walked into the room. Donatello was holding her hand. He leaned in and whispered something to her. She nodded. "Can I talk to you a moment Raphael?" She asked as Donatello let go of her hand and walked over to their chess game. Raphael stood and Donatello took his place.

Katherine held out her hand for him to take. He took her hand and walked with her from the library. He pulled her to a stop just outside of the door. "Are you okay?" He asked taking her face in his hands. "I was so worried." He clutched her to him. "I failed you, I didn't keep the nightmares away." He whispered in anguish.

"I'm fine. You didn't fail me Raphael. You couldn't stop the nightmare, but you were there with me." She said softly.

"Then why can't I remember?" He asked her looking into her eyes.

"Because I don't want you to, and I don't want you to try to remember. Promise me Raphael, that you will not try to remember." She said to him.

He looked at her in shock. "But..." He began.

"Promise." She said to him.

He closed his eyes. "I promise." He ground out.

"Thank you Raphael." She said. He pulled her close and claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.

He clutched her to him tightly. She broke away from his kiss and smiled at him. "Casey and April are going to be here tomorrow." She said to him. He blinked at her in shock. "They are going to stay for Christmas. Which is only three days away." She said with a smile as she pulled out of his arms and walked away.

Raphael frowned and walked back into the library. Starlight was looking at the chess board, her head tipped to the side in a gesture reminiscent of her mother. Raphael blinked and shook his head. Starlight was not his, and Katherine was not her mother. He just had to keep reminding himself of this.

"Are you okay daddy, you look worried?" Starlight asked in concern.

"I have no idea what to get Katherine for Christmas." He said with shock.

Donatello looked at him in surprise as his younger brother realized he hadn't gotten anything for her for Christmas either.

Starlight and Starbright giggled.

* * *

**Leonardo** followed Katherine to the second floor. He knew she was going to bed.

"You don't have to try the whole ninja thing out on me Leonardo. I know you are there and I know you are following me so why don't you just say what you want to say." Katherine said looking at where he had concealed himself in the shadows. He stepped into the light. Katherine looked at him, eyebrow raised in question.

He stepped into her, pulling her close. "Are you really okay?" He asked her.

"Yes, I am really okay." She said lightly brushing her fingers over his bruised jaw.

He nodded tersely. For some reason he was still angry. He was trying to let the anger go, but he couldn't. It made him angry to think that for all this time Raphael had been sharing a bed with her. And even thought he knew nothing had happened between them, he still felt as if he had been betrayed by his brother.

"Why are you so angry at Raphael, when you know you would have done exactly the same thing if your roles were reversed?" She asked him softly.

He looked down into her questioning eyes. "I don't know." He whispered.

She nodded. "Goodnight Leonardo." She said pulling away from him and turning away. He grabbed at her hand.

"I don't want you to sleep alone." He said to her.

She lifted an eyebrow. "I don't think the nightmares will be bothering me anymore. I believe they were a warning, and warning, very much received." She said grimly.

"I don't care." He growled. "Let me get Donny or Mikey, they can stay with you, make sure you are safe." He ground out through clenched teeth.

Katherine nodded. "Okay." She said softly as she pulled her hand from his grasp. She walked further down the hall and walked into his room.

He followed her in surprise. "I didn't..." He began.

"You don't trust yourself with me. You think that you are either going to hurt me or ravage me." She said from his bed. "I know you guys already have a 'don't touch' policy in place whether you know it or not. Now come to bed, I'm tired." She said as she curled up into a little ball.

Leonardo looked at her. He sighed as he pulled up a chair and sat in it. She didn't say anything as he tried to get comfortable.

"You have a choice Leonardo. You can forgive Raphael and come sleep with me, or you can stay mad at him and sit in that chair all night. The choice is yours." She rolled over and looked at him holding out a hand.

Leonardo stood up and sighed. He let the anger he felt towards his brother go. If Raphael had been able to share a bed with her for nearly two weeks and not touch her, he could as well. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed next to her.

She wrapped herself around him, kissed his cheek lightly and buried her head in his shoulder."'Goodnight Leonardo." She whispered. He looked down at the woman curled up in his arms. She yawned. "I'll sleep with Michelangelo or Donatello tomorrow night." She said softly as she snuggled in closer to him.

"You are not making this easy." He growled at her.

She laughed softly. "I know, but I love you."

He kissed the top of her head. And he loved her, so what did they do? All date her? That is what it felt like they were doing. But he wanted her to be his and his alone.

"And what happens when one of us goes too far, what happens when we can no longer resist you?" He whispered into her ear as he trailed a hand down her side and tracing the band of her pants to her stomach.

She peered up at him in the darkness. "We will cross that bridge when we come to it Leonardo." She whispered back.

"What are we doing Katherine?" He asked her. "What do you want from us, what do you expect from us, what are we to you?" He asked her desperately.

"I don't know; your love, nothing, and the most important people in my world. I love you so much Leonardo, but my love extends to your brothers as well. I don't like that I cannot choose. I need time Leonardo. I need to figure out my own heart, can you not just share me, for now?" She asked him.

He clutched her tighter. Maybe if she did date all of them she would be able to decided between them. "For now." He growled in her ear.

* * *

**April** looked up at the huge house their van was parked outside of. Casey whistled.

"Wow. She's got some serious money." Casey said closing the door of the van.

"Looks like it." April said with trepidation. She was glad of the invitation that had been extended to them, but she was worried at what she would find. Katherine seemed like she was nice, but she was worried about her friends and of her breaking their hearts.

She hadn't really wanted to come here. She was tired of being away from home. They had finally arrived at Katherine's by 6:00 pm that evening. But before they left they had had to unpack, wash clothes, re-pack and get ready to spend two or three days at Katherine's depending on if they were going to spend Christmas night there as well or not.

Casey grabbed their bags and headed up the steps. Casey looked for a doorbell, and not finding one, knocked using the door knocker.

The door opened revealing a small girl about 5 years old wearing a blue shirt and jeans. She had hair the colour of snow and great big green eyes. She smiled at them. "Auntie April, Uncle Casey!" She squealed in delight as she launched herself at Casey. Casey stumbled back at the impact of the little body hitting him.

"What the...?" He asked looking at the girl attached to his leg.

"Daddy, Uncle Casey and Auntie April are here!" The little girl yelled. She grabbed both of their hands and pulled them into the lavish interior of the house.

"Don't you dare! Get down here right now!" Raphael yelled at a little girl who looked to be the twin of the one that had dragged them into the foyer.

She was balancing on the top of the railing on the second floor reaching for something that had been thrown onto a chandelier.

April could see Leonardo on the top floor slowly inching his way towards the little girl. "Daddy, Auntie April and Uncle Casey are here!" The girl on the rail said looking at them. "Daddy catch me." She said as she jumped off the rail. Leonardo leapt to grab her, but missed, the little girl landing and hitting Raphael as he caught her. She laughed. Raphael clutched the girl to him, fear and terror filling his face.

Raphael pulled away and glared at her. "Don't you ever do that again, you understand me. You could have been hurt, or even worse, killed." He growled at her.

"But daddy." She whined.

"No buts."

"But daddy," She said to him. "Me and Starbright know how to do lots of things. Watch." She said as she pulled from his arms.

She grabbed the other girl who April was assuming was Starbright and they gracefully leapt onto the banister of the staircase. They ran up the banister and did a flip, hands grabbing the wood then twisting as they switched positions as Starbright leapt over the other girl landing on her feet. They reached the railing that the other girl had been balancing on earlier.

"Hi daddy." Starbright said as she passed Leonardo who was looking pale.

"No!" Leonardo shouted as Starbright leapt to the chandelier. The other girl laughed as Strabright pulled a scarf from the chandelier. Starbright let the scarf go. The other girl leapt easily over the banister catching the scarf in mid-air. She flipped and landed gracefully holding the scarf. Starbright clapped as she fell off backwards. She twisted in midair landing gracefully beside her sister. April felt her heart in her throat. She had been terrified and looking at her two friends, they had been terrified as well.

"Auntie April, Uncle Casey are you hungry, we're hungry, mommy's making supper." Both girls said in unison. April looked form one girl to the other, the only difference she could see in their appearance was that Starbright had green eyes and the other girl had brown eyes. The other girl was also wearing a red shirt and jeans.

Donatello walked into the foyer. "I almost forgot that you were coming." Donatello said as he took in Raphael pulling himself off the floor and Leonardo walking down the steps.

"Starlight, Strabright, I still don't want you pulling anymore stunts like that, you two nearly gave me a heart attack." Raphael growled at them.

"But daddy." Starlight whined.

"But daddy Raph." Starbright said at the same time.

"No buts, if you want to play, go to the training room and practice there." Leonardo said to them.

Their shoulders slumped.

"But daddy we just wanted to show you." Starbright said with a pout.

Leonardo knelt down. "I know sweetheart, but I would like it better if you showed us what you can do in a place you are less likely to be hurt, okay."

Starbright looked at the other girl she assumed was her sister, and seemed to have a private conversation. "Okay daddy." Starbright said giving Leonardo a big hug. She let go of her friend and bounded up to her sister. "It's much easier with wings." April heard Starbright whisper in her sister's ear, Starlight nodding in agreement.

April looked at the scene before her and felt a little lost and overwhelmed.

"Hey Leo, did you tell the girls that Casey and April were coming?" Donatello asked.

Leonardo shook his head. "I didn't even know they were coming. No one told me. I don't think anyone told Mikey either."

Donatello frowned. "Did anyone tell you we were expecting guests?" Donatello asked the girls.

They shook their heads. "We haven't seen Uncle Casey and Auntie April for a little bit. But Daddy always likes to visit Uncle Casey and talk about...old times." Starlight said with a shrug. 'They are always talking about the Foot Clan this and the Shredder that. And sometimes they talk about the something dragons too." She frowned. "Green Dragons? Purple Dragons?" She shrugged.

"And Auntie April and Daddy Donny always talk about computers and Daddy Donny always tells Auntie April all of the upgrades he does to Magi." Stabright said to Donatello.

"And they don't even invite you in, how rude." A husky voice said from the hallway.

April turned and looked at the young woman who strolled into the foyer followed closely by Michelangelo.

April did a double take. She looked at the petite woman in front of her. She had long, wavy, white hair and laughing moss green eyes. She looked at the two little girls who ran up to her.

"Mommy we're hungry is supper ready?" They asked.

She smiled. "In a few minutes. You have to let April and Casey get settled in, now off with you two, go and play a game of chess, and by the time you two are done dinner should be ready." She said as she gently pushed the two girls down the hall.

She turned her attention back to them. "Hello, I'm Katherine it is nice to finally meet you." She said with a smile as she held out a hand.

April numbly shook her hand as she looked at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Michelangelo burst out laughing. "You should see your face April. It's priceless."

"Um...daddy?" Casey said looking at Raphael.

Raphael turned his head to the side a blush stealing over his cheeks.

"It's a long story." Donatello said with a shake of his head.

Katherine looked at Michelangelo. "Michelangelo could you help Leonardo take their bags up to the guest room. Furthest door on the right. We won't say anything until you two are back." She said with a smile as Michelangelo looked like he was going to protest.

"Come on." Katherine motioned as Donatello helped them with their coats.

April followed the woman as Raphael grabbed her around the waist and whispered something into her ear while they walked down a hallway lavishly lined with paintings and antiques. They walked into a brightly lit kitchen. April could smell something cooking. "I hope you don't mind pizza?" She asked.

"Kitten makes a mean homemade pizza." Raphael said as he pulled her close.

She laughed and pulled out of Raphael's grip. She bumped him out of the way with her hip as she bent down to take the pizzas out of the oven and put two more in.

April looked over at Donatello to see how he was taking Raphael touching Katherine. Donatello seemed unconcerned, more lost in thought. April frowned. _Was Katherine going out with Raphael and if she was, why wasn't Donatello bothered by it?_

Leonardo and Michelangelo walked into the kitchen. "Better talk fast the girls are nearly done their chess game." Leonardo said as he walked over to Katherine. He leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. She frowned as she lightly touched Leonardo's cheek. April frowned as she noticed a fading bruise on Leonardo's left cheek.

Katherine leapt up on the counter Leonardo and Raphael on either side of her.

Michelangelo went and stood in front of Katherine, his back to her. She wrapped her arms lightly around him.

"I don't know Kitten, the evidence is becoming a little too overwhelming." Donatello said to her. "They know who Casey and April are."

"I know Donatello." She said with a frown. Her eyes met April's.

Leonardo turned his gaze to April. "We found them in the lair. Starlight claims that Raphael is her father and Starbright claims that I am her father." Leonardo began.

Donatello nodded. "Basically they appeared out of nowhere and it is our belief that they may come from the future. They claim to be biologically Raph and Leo's daughters with Kitten here as their mother. Which is...hard to believe. Unfortunately it is getting hard to dispute this fact, they look exactly like Kitten and know about you and Casey, and Master Splinter." Donatello said motioning to Katherine.

April felt her world tip a little.

"Worst part is, that those two girls are twins. Try wrapping your head around that one." Michelangelo said with a smile. "Can you see these two hot heads playin' nice together?" Michelangelo grinned looking between his two brothers.

"Michelangelo be nice." Katherine said to him.

April looked at her friends in shock. April sat down on a chair. "I think I need to sit down." April said a little overwhelmed. "But how is that possible Donny?" She asked. "I didn't even think that you guys could..." She paused as she struggled with her thoughts. "You know, with a human."

Donatello gave an embarrassed cough."We're sexually compatible with humans, but biologically, it is impossible for us to father children with a human." He said softly.

"But...?" April began.

Donatello blew out a frustrated breath."That's what has us confused too." Donatello said crossing his arms over his chest. "Also, we aren't really sure when they talk if what they say is true, or just something from their imaginations."

"They say some pretty crazy things." Michelangelo said nodding.

Katherine leaned back and put her arms around Leonardo and Raphael.

April looked at Katherine. "What do you think?" April asked the woman who was apparently the children's 'mother'.

Katherine shrugged. "It is a waste of energy playing the 'are they or aren't they' game. Their parents will find them and take them home regardless. All we have to do is fill in and be their 'parents' until their real parents arrive." She said reasonably.

"So...but." April closed her eyes and tried again. She opened her eyes and looked into her oddly disturbing green gaze. "You aren't bothered by the fact that if they are yours then you would have to have..." She stopped because if she continued she knew she would hurt her friend's feelings.

Katherine looked at her intently. April felt as if Katherine was ripping away all of her barriers down into the depths of her soul. "I love them." She said bluntly. "The fact that they aren't human doesn't bother me, just as the fact that I am, doesn't bother them." She said with a quirk of her lips.

April blinked in shock as she tried to wrap her head around what was going on. Just then the two girls ran into the room. "Pizza!" They shouted in joy as the climbed up on their chairs.

Katherine unwound herself from Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo. She slid down and began cutting up the pizzas. Katherine then took out two more pizzas and put two more in.

There were only 6 chairs. Donatello sat down and Starlight got off her chair and climbed onto Donatello's lap. Starbright climbed onto Michelangelo's lap as Michelangelo sat down.

Starlight looked at Katherine. "Mommy do you think mommy and the daddies are going to find us?" She whispered.

Katherine stopped and looked at her. Raphael knelt down in front of Starlight. "If your parents are anything like us, they will be tearing the world apart looking for you."

Starlight frowned. "I really hope mommy doesn't start tearing the world apart." She said in fear.

Raphael frowned. "I didn't mean...I just meant that they will find you." He said.

Starlight smiled. "Good, I wouldn't like it if mommy tore the world apart. I like the world just as it is."

Donatello frowned as he looked down at the little girl happily sitting and eating pizza in his lap. He closed his eyes in resignation. "Your mom could tear apart the world?" He asked as if he already knew the answer.

"Mommy is Darkness." She said with a shrug.

"And then they say things like that and we get a little lost." Michelangelo pointed out.

They all nodded.

"Kitten, after dinner?" Donatello asked her.

She looked at him then shrugged. She took a piece of pizza and bit into it. The girls stopped and watched in fascination.

Katherine looked at them. "What?" She asked them.

"We've never seen mommy eat." They said in unison.

Katherine frowned. "I eat, but things have been a little crazy around here, I haven't really had a chance to eat when the rest of you have."

They looked at her and frowned. "Mommy never eats...ever." The twins said together.

"Ever?" Donatello asked.

They shook their heads. "I mean, we know mommy doesn't _have_ to eat, but everyone usually does anyway because they like to and the daddies do out of habit, but mommy never eats."

"Daddy Mikey says that mommy can't eat." Starlight said.

"Why wouldn't I be able to eat? I would die if I didn't eat." Katherine said looking at the piece of pizza in her hand.

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. "Are you staying Auntie April?" Starlight asked.

April blinked. "Yes, we'll be staying for Christmas." She said slowly.

"Yay!" They said together. "We're done, can we show Auntie April and Uncle Casey the house now?" They asked excitedly.

Katherine looked over at the door. "Auntie April, Uncle Casey, say hi to the house." They said motioning to the empty doorway.

"Um...hi?" April questioned.

"Yes he's there." Katherine said to Donatello.

"Right. We'll talk more about things in the morning." Donatello said standing up.

"I'm going to look after Kitten, if you two can get dishes cleaned up." He said to Raphael and Michelangelo. "Leo, you want to take them on the tour?"

Leonardo nodded.

Katherine finished her piece of pizza and walked with Donatello from the room.

The girls pulled them to their feet.

They followed as the girls and Leonardo gave them a tour of the house. The girls chatted happily and showed them all of the interesting artifacts that were scattered around the house. April practically drooled over some of the antiques.

A few hours later they ran into Donatello. "How is she?" Leonardo asked softly.

Donatello frowned. "She shouldn't be up and walking around as much as she is." He grumbled.

Leonardo nodded. "Get her to sleep Donny and look after her." Donatello nodded and headed back upstairs.

Leonardo looked at April. "We'll explain everything tomorrow morning." He said to her. April frowned in confusion.

"Leo, I think Casey and I are going to head to bed. It's getting late and we are tired, is that okay?" April asked.

Leonardo looked at them and nodded.

"Goodnight." The two girls said happily as they ran down the hall.

She looked at her friend. "Leo is everything alright?" She asked in concern.

Leonardo looked at her, his eyes going bleak. "We'll talk in the morning." He said as he showed them to their room.

April looked at Casey after they had settled in. "I don't like this Casey." She grumbled.

"I know what you mean April, now don't get me wrong this Katherine seems really nice, but...I don't know, something funny is going on." Casey said to her.

* * *

Thoughts, opinions?


	27. Chapter 27

*Delicate cough* alrighty people this is an M rated story for a reason, this next chapter is one reason. So warning! Adult content! Mild kink or maybe medium kink? ...I don't know!

Hope you enjoy! The next chapter will be longer, this one is a little short. As always Forgottenforever your rock!

* * *

Chapter 27

**Donatello** watched as Katherine curled into a little ball. She winced as she moved her legs. She was very good at hiding her pain. He doubted anyone else would notice the sharp intakes of breath, the pauses in walking, or the slight winces of pain.

"I wish I could get you something for the pain." He whispered to her.

She smiled. "Being stabbed, by far, much worse." She said with a smile. "Are you just going to stand there?" She asked him.

"Katherine. You say you aren't bothered by the fact that we aren't human." Donatello said to her.

Katherine slowly sat up. She tipped her head to the side as she assessed him. "No, it has never bothered me." She said slowly as if wondering where he was going with what he was saying.

Donatello stripped off his shirt. "My body doesn't bother you one bit?" He questioned as he stripped off his pants revealing his briefs. Katherine slid off the bed and stilled his hands that were inching their way to his briefs. "April is right. How could you not be bothered with the idea of having sex with one of us." Donatello said desperately. "We aren't human Katherine."

"But we are compatible. That is what you said." She whispered to him.

"Compatible and human are two entirely different things. You have to know what you are getting into." He said to her.

She frowned at him not releasing her grip on his hands. "Donatello." She said then sighed. She looked into his eyes. "Fine. But if we are going to play that game, I guess I will have to reciprocate." She said as she reached down grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. He looked at her in shock as she pulled off her pants letting the fabric pool to the floor.

She stood nearly naked in front of him and he looked at her in awe. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He reached out to grab her, but she evaded as she reached down and slid her underwear off. They pooled to the ground as she lifted her arms over her head and turned around in front of him. "Completely human." She said to him. "Do you want me Donatello?" She asked huskily.

Donatello swallowed as he grabbed her pulling her roughly to him. "More than you could ever know." He said to her.

She smiled. "So in other words you want me as badly as I want you." She said to him, her eyes growing dark with desire. She kissed him roughly then, her arms twining around his neck. He didn't even notice when she deftly removed his underwear. He only noticed as it fell to the floor. His eyes snapped open. She pulled away as he tried to keep her against him. "You started this Donatello. Your turn." He let her go.

He stood in front of her completely nude. He closed his eyes tightly against seeing her face. "Turn." Katherine said. He opened his eyes looking at her. She motioned for him to turn around. He did so as she had done. As he turned back towards her she stood in front of him. "You're not quite human, and not quite turtle, more a cross between the two, and almost painfully big." She said quietly. "You can't touch me." She whispered to him.

He looked at her in shock. _Was she disgusted by him?_ He wondered.

"But no one said I could not touch you." She said with a husky chuckle as she slid down his body.

"Katherine what are you...?" He asked as his world shattered. He grabbed for something to hold onto. He clutched desperately at the post of the bed to steady himself. "Katherine don't..." His pleading turned into a groan as pleasure raced through him. Her tongue rasped again up his hardened length. He felt her grab the base of him as she took him into her mouth. He was barely able to keep standing.

"Katherine you have to stop, Katherine I can't, I'm going to..." He moaned. His body shuddered as the pleasure that had been building broke and rode through him. He panted, clutching at the post. Katherine stood up and looked at him.

"Satisfied?" She asked him. "After all it was you who said you would like to see me try to make you come." She said with a mischievous smile and a wink, as she crawled naked into bed.

Emotions rode and coursed through him. He clutched the post he was hanging onto like it was a life line. "And you expect me not to touch you?" He growled at her.

She yawned and stretched her body out. "Talk to your brothers not me." She said. "After all, if you touch me then I have to let them touch me as well. But I have to draw the line at sex. I can't go that far, not yet." She said rolling onto her side.

He strode to the bed and climbed into it. "How badly do you want me?" He growled at her as he brought her against him crushing her to him.

"I'm sorry are we back to this again?" She asked as she pushed him away. She sat up and rolled off the bed grabbing two of the four pillows that were piled on the bed. She pulled the pillowcases off the pillows as he looked at her in confusion. "I'm going to do you a favour." She said with a mischievous smirk. "Put your hands up above your head."

He frowned at her but did as she asked. She walked over to his side of the bed and began tying his hands together with the pillowcase. "What are you doing?" He asked her as she took the second pillowcase looped it through his bound wrists and tied it to the post. "Um...Katherine?" He asked.

"Well I figure this way you won't be tempted to touch, after all, you break guy code and that could have some serious repercussions, especially guy brother code, even worse. So now you can't touch. So, I just did you a favour." She said with a smile.

He quirked an eye ridge at her. "I'm sure there was an easier way, like just telling me not to touch." He said as he pulled at the bonds. He frowned looking over his head. They were tied tightly and securely. _Where had she learned to tie knots like that?_ He wondered. He looked back down and found the she was now sitting between his legs. He tried scrambling out of the way, but there was nowhere to scramble to. "Katherine what are you doing? You made your point, I've already...I can't..."

"Oh don't worry." She said cutting off his half formed thoughts. "I'm sure I can help you out with that, after all, I didn't really get a chance to play, and I am feeling playful." She purred at him.

"Katherine." He squeaked as he tried to wiggle out of the way. A blush had worked its way up his cheeks. He felt exposed and extremely embarrassed. He had never had a woman look at him with absolute and total naked lust and the feeling was a little overwhelming.

She frowned at him. He closed his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want her to, it was just that...He opened his eyes and looked straight into hers. She pulled off another pillowcase cover.

"I already told you Donatello there is no need to be embarrassed by who and what you are. I love you, that means I love every square inch of you, and so, I will show you just how much I love every square inch of you." She said with a smile. "Oh but I think you are going to be a screamer, and we can't have your brothers running in here so..."

"Wha..gragh? His question was cut off as she jammed the tightly rolled pillowcase in his mouth.

He struggled and protested. "Much better." She said as she lightly kissed his cheek working her way down to his neck. She licked the tender exposed skin. He felt the scrape of teeth and he shuddered. She moved to the other side of his throat working her way across his chest paying careful attention to the scar that now marked his body. She then moved her way down his arms licking the inside of his elbow. He felt himself begin to harden. She licked just below where the pillowcases bound his arms. She kissed the center of his palm. She then made her way down his other arm. He was starting to squirm. He hadn't known how erotic just the quick flick of her tongue could be in places like the inside of his wrist, or his elbow. Her lips were making him shiver and he was getting harder with each flick of her torturous tongue.

She kissed down each side of his body, kissing the skin between his plastron and his carapace. She kissed and licked the hollow of his hip. Then she licked the hollow of his other hip purposely ignoring his throbbing length. He groaned in frustration as he tugged at his bonds.

She chuckled. She put her hands on his shoulders and raked her nails down his arms. His eyes widened in shock at the sensation. There was a tiny bit of pain but coupled with the state of lust his body was in, the sensation felt pleasurable.

She spread his legs as she kissed his inner thigh. He moaned. His breathing was becoming laboured as his she teased him into a frenzy. She kissed and licked the inside of his knee. He struggled more as he again moaned. She raked her nails down the sides of his body as her tongue rasped up his hardened length. His body arched off the bed as he moaned again. He was panting through the gag in his mouth. He begged her to stop, he couldn't handle the intensity of the pleasure that was beginning to pool low in his belly. What she had done to him while he was standing was nothing compared to what she was doing now. She kissed the inside of each thigh, tormenting him again while his cock burned with need. He begged her to do anything to relieve him of the pleasurable torture she was inflicting. She grabbed his base with her hand and squeezed. He bucked beneath her moaning into the gag as she took him into her mouth where she did things with her tongue that he didn't think were possible, pushing him over the brink as she raked her nails down his sides hard enough to break skin, but he didn't care, it just added to the swirl of pleasurable sensations that rode his thrashing body.

She removed his gag. His body was warm, and was still being ridden by smaller waves of pleasure. He lay there limp and unable to move. He moved his head enough to look at her. She was stretched out next to him head propped up on her hand looking at him. "That was fun. We should do that again." She said with a smile.

He groaned. "If you do that to me again, I don't think I'll survive."

She smirked. "I figured you'd play bottom to my top." She said as she traced a finger down his plastron.

He frowned in confusion. "Bottom?" He asked.

She looked at him with dusky lust filled eyes. "You are a switch hitter, it means you can play dominant which is top or submissive which is bottom. As I prefer to be dominant you very nicely played submissive." She said with a purr as she stretched again. He frowned at her. "And if you are going to ask how many times I've done what I just did to you before, the answer would be none." She quirked a smile at him. "I'm a virgin and I had never even kissed anyone until Raphael kissed me." She said with a shrug.

He looked at her in surprise. "But...?" She cut him off with a kiss. She pulled away.

"I've..studied." She said looking at his hands making him wonder what the hell a virgin anthropology student was studying.

"Are you going to untie me now?" He asked.

She assessed him. "Are you okay, you aren't uncomfortable are you?"

Donatello swallowed. "No." He said slowly.

"Good, because I think you will have to stay that way for a bit longer." She looked at the gag still in her hand. "I think you will need this as well." She shoved the gag back in his mouth.

_What are you doing? _He asked through the gag.

"Well you see." She said rolling onto her back. "It isn't really fair that I get to touch you and quench your desire, but you can't touch me and bring me pleasure, so, in the interest of actually being able to sleep without uncomfortably burning with unfulfilled lust, I guess I will just have to touch myself." She said to him.

_What!_ He screamed through the gag. _She wasn't, no she wouldn't_. He struggled to sit up as she brushed her hands down her body, over full ripe breasts that begged to be touched. She looked at him. "I guess I will just have to imagine it is you who is touching me." She whispered as she spread her legs open. "I will have to imagine it is your tongue rasping along the most sensitive part of me, your finger that is plunging inside of me." She said as she fit words to action.

He bit the gag hard as he strained against the bonds that bound him from touching her. She moaned and he strained harder, but the bonds would not give. He looked down at himself and realized he was hard and ready again.

She moaned his name in pleasure. She looked at him with heavy eyes as she stroked him. His body reacted, he screamed though the gag as a wave of pleasure ripped and crashed through him.

He blurrily looked at her. She chuckled. His body was spent and sleep was beginning to drag him down. He felt her take out the gag and his wrists being unbound. He felt her body pressing into his. "I love you Donatello." She whispered to him.

He kissed her. "I love you too Katherine." He whispered as sleep claimed him.

* * *

Bad Donny and Katherine bad! LOL


	28. Chapter 28

Phew, this was a long chapter, but I hope everyone enjoys!

And Forgottenforever you are totally the reveiwing Queen! Thank you so much!=)

* * *

Chapter 28

**Donatello** woke in the morning and groaned. _Why did his muscles hurt so much?_ He wondered as his eyes snapped open, memory crashing into him. He sat up and looked at the empty bed. He looked around wondering if he had dreamt the whole thing until he saw the bruises that wrapped around his wrists and the scratches that covered his arms and the deeper ones that had broken skin down his sides. He looked down at himself, he was still naked.

He closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting of last night, hadn't really known what he had wanted from her. He supposed he had expected a certain reaction, but he definitely hadn't expected the events that _had_ transpired to happen. He felt a wave of guilt crash into him, but at the same time he knew he had nothing to feel guilty about. She had made him stay true to the unspoken 'don't touch' rule. It wasn't his fault no one had told her not to touch. And had she touched, did so much more than touch. He stumbled to the bathroom turning on a cold shower. He needed to wake up and get his pleasure filled brain working again.

He stepped out of the shower determined to talk with his brothers. There was no way he was going another night without being able to touch her. Even if what she had done to him had been rather enjoyable. He knew that if they agreed to touch then it would mean they would all get to touch. He rolled the thought around in his head. He didn't want to share, but he would rather share than go through life without her. He walked over to the bed studying the bed post she had tied him to. There wasn't even a split in the wood. He glared at the post hitting it open-handed with all of his strength. His hand bounced painfully off the wood. He looked at the post impressed. He picked up the rolled up pillowcase she had used to gag him. He wondered how she would like to play bottom. He smiled to himself as he imagined trying her up to the bed. _The no touch rule could be fun under the right circumstances._ He decided as he grabbed his jeans and pulled a shirt over his head. He strode to the door stopping before he turned the handle. He looked at himself in the mirror. The scratches and bruises were plain to see. He stomped back to the closet and looked for a hoodie, which he didn't have. _Katherine must have decided to do laundry._ He thought to himself as he looked in the clothes hamper.

He frowned. He had never really been that heavy of a sleeper, but she had managed to slip out and grab all of his laundry. She must have really wore him out. Hell, he knew she had worn him out. If he ever did have sex with her, she'd probably kill him.

He looked at himself in the mirror and tried to get rid of the stupid satisfied grin he had on his face. He walked over to the window and opened it a crack. His room smelled like sex.

He opened the door of his room looking down the hall hoping to sneak into Michelangelo's room and grab a hoodie, then corral all of his brothers into the library for a family meeting.

He managed to get into Michelangelo's room and snag a hoodie without anyone seeing him. He closed the door behind him and ran right into Katherine. She was holding a laundry basket on her hip.

He thought seeing her would be embarrassing, instead possessive lust filled him.

"Sleep well?" She asked him.

He quirked his lips. "You saw to that didn't you?" He said as he took the basket from her hands. He dropped it to the ground and pushed her against the wall. He held her arms above her head and crushed her between his body and the wall. "I think next time I may want to try top." He growled in her ear as he claimed her lips in a punishing kiss.

His head rose at the sound of a creaking floorboard. He looked over to see April looking at him in surprise. He stepped back letting Katherine go. He whispered in her ear that he was going to have a chat with his brothers.

"Morning April." He tossed over his shoulder as he headed down the hallway and down the stairs to find his brothers.

* * *

Katherine blinked after Donatello's retreating back. She tipped her head to the side in thought. "Hello April, sleep well?" She asked the older woman.

"Yes thank you." April said giving her a once over.

"I didn't realize that you and Donny were...I thought you were with Raph." April said in a confused voice.

Katherine gave a wavering smile. _Great how was she supposed to explain this one?_ "I'm..." She began as Michelangelo strode down the hall. "Hey Kitten, you did laundry that's great. I couldn't find one of my hoodies, you know the dark blue one."

Katherine frowned. "Donatello was wearing it, I took all of his clothes that needed to be washed from his room this morning."

Michelangelo perked up, then chuckled to himself. "That's right." He said pressing against her. "It's my turn tonight isn't it." He said touching her chin. He tipped her lips up so they met his. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sensation of him kissing her. "See you in a bit Kitten." He said as he pulled away. "Leo says Donny wants to have a chat. I'll just take this one." He reached down and grabbed an orange hoodie that she was pretty sure was Raphael's.

"Oh, hey April!" Michelangelo waved as he strode back down the hall and down the stairs.

She looked at April whose mouth was hanging open. "I..." She began, a blush rising up her cheeks.

"Hey Kitten what the hell is Mikey doin wearing my hoodie?" Raphael asked as he took the stairs two at a time. "Mikey says you gave it to him." He growled.

Katherine sighed. "I'm trying to get laundry done Raphael. There are 5 adults plus two children, you will just have to share your clothes until I get all of the loads done, okay?" She said looking at him.

He frowned down at her. "You okay Kitten you're looking a little flushed?" Raphael questioned stepping into her.

"I'm fine." She said to him.

"Kitten, I worry about you." He said tipping her head up. He looked at her, his face serious. She touched his cheek. "I am fine." She said as she leaned into the kiss he gave her. The scent of musk and the forest at night swirled around her. Of the four brothers it was his scent that smelled to her, the most intoxicating.

She was able to pull away from his embrace. "Only because you told Mikey he could wear my hoodie, I won't pummel him into little bitty bits. But if you want to wear any of my clothes Kitten you go ahead." He said to her voice low and gravely. Things within her belly tightened with lust.

Raphael let go of her chin. "Hey April, Casey around?" Raphael asked. "We're havin' a little chat, but in a bit, we want you and Case in the library so we can talk about what has been goin' on." Raphael said as he headed back the way he had come.

April looked at her.

Katherine opened her mouth. "It's...well...Oh no." She began as Leonardo strode down the hall.

"What's this I hear about you doing all of the laundry?" He growled at her. "Donny told you that you shouldn't be moving around as much as you are." His dark brown almost black angry eyes bored into hers.

"Leonardo..." She began as he stepped into her.

"You have first degree burns covering most of your calves, you have been shot, not to mention the fact that a little over two months ago Raphael put his sai through your liver." He growled down at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. The problem was with Leonardo was, she knew she couldn't give him any ground. With Leonardo if she backed down he would think he won, which would mean he would think he could order her around like he did his brothers. And as much as she loved him, he was the one who she would always clash against and fight with the most. He was probably also the only one who she may let dominate her in the bedroom, well possibly Donatello as well.

Lust coursed through her at the thought of him dominating her. Leonardo looked at her in shock as she let him see the lust in her eyes. He looked at her an answering lust rising up in his eyes. "I am fine." She growled at him.

"You aren't a doctor." He growled at her as he took a threatening step towards her. She took an answering step back.

"Neither is Donatello." She pointed out as she took another step back in reaction to his step towards her. She hit the wall as her body was crushed between it and the hardness of his plastron.

Leonardo growled low in his throat. She smiled at him baring her teeth. He claimed her mouth in a rough kiss. She groaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He broke away from her lips. "Why do you always defy me?" He growled at her, anger and lust rolling through his eyes.

"Because I won't be dominated by you Leonardo." She said to him.

He drew back. "Please take it easy Kitten." He whispered to her.

She laughed. "All you had to do was ask Leonardo." She said to him. He looked at her in shock and then smiled at her. "I like it when you smile." She said to him, gently touching the almost healed bruise on his cheek. He looked down at her arm which was a greenish yellow. She looked into his eyes and kissed him again. This time it was a sweet kiss, instead of a lust filled angry kiss. Both were wonderful.

"I love you Katherine." He said to her.

"I love you too Leonardo." She said as he pulled away.

Leonardo looked over at April as if just noticing her. "Oh, hey April are you helping Kitten with laundry?" he asked her.

"What?" April said blankly.

"Thanks April." Leonardo said with a wave.

"Just because I'm a woman, it does not mean I have to do laundry Leo!" April angrily shouted down the stairs.

April turned her gaze towards her. "Um, it's complicated." She squeaked as April grabbed her and pulled her into her room.

"When you said you loved them I didn't really think you meant you loved all of them in _that_ way. Are you dating all of them or do they not realize they are **all** kissing you?" April asked her in frustration.

"Hey babe, you should see this place." Casey said walking in with a bag of popcorn.

"Casey. Out. Now!" April said as she pushed him from the room closing the door behind him.

"They know I am in love with all of them, and they are trying hard not to think of me kissing the other brothers, but they know that they are all dating me." Katherine said softly.

April rubbed her temples. "You seem really nice..." April began.

"April stop." Katherine said as she walked over to the bed and sat down. "Do you not think I haven't ran this through my head over and over again? I should be able to pick one. Who do I love more? I ask myself that every minute of every day and I do not have an answer. I love them all with everything that I am and I don't think that it is going to change. They want me to pick between them. That is why I am dating all of them." She shook her head. "Michelangelo and Donatello are both willing to share, but as you can imagine Leonardo and Raphael are not very open to the idea."

"That look Donatello gave me did not say I am sharing, the look he gave me said MINE. I have never seen Donatello look like that." April said angrily.

Katherine looked at her. "It's complicated." She said with a shrug. She slid off the bed. "Listen April, I know you are worried about them. I know the situation isn't...typical or normal, but...neither are they."

"Katherine," April began desperately. "I know the girls say that you are their mother and that Raphael and Leonardo are their fathers, but...You don't really believe that do you? Just because they say that, it doesn't mean that you have to be with all of them." April said with a shake of her head.

Katherine looked into Aprils eyes. "They aren't my daughters." She said seriously. "I know they aren't."

"But then...how do you know?" April asked in worry.

"Because I know." She said softly as sadness threatened to overwhelm her.

"So then why...?" April began.

Katherine's head shot up. "Sorry April I've got to go. I thing are going to go all to hell in the library." She said as she opened the door and ran down the hall, past a surprised Casey and through a secret door that led to the library.

* * *

**Donatello** looked at his brothers and swallowed. _How was he going to bring this up?_ He wondered. He blew out a breath.

"Donny is Katherine okay?" Leonardo asked in concern.

Donatello blinked in surprise. "She's fine." He said with a frown, she was more than fine.

"Donatello, are you sure?" Leonardo insisted his eyes flicking to Raphael.

"Yes Leo, Katherine is as well as can be expected, considering." He said with a shrug. "Before we get into things with Casey and April I just wanted to..." He paused. "I want to touch her." He said softly to his brothers.

His brothers looked at him in shock. "Donny you didn't." Raphael growled at him.

"No Raph, I didn't." Donatello said crossing his arms over his chest.

Leonardo looked at him. "I told Katherine that it wouldn't be long before she had to choose between us." Leonardo said to him.

Donatello glared at his older brother. "I don't want her to choose between us." Donatello said to his brothers. "Don't get me wrong, if she came up to me and told me I was it, that I was _the_ one, I wouldn't turn her down, but I don't know when she is going to be able to choose, which means we have to decide what the hell we are doing." He said to his brothers angrily.

Michelangelo was looking at him strangely. "Well you know where I stand." Michelangelo said walking over to him. "But I am curious on where you managed to get these." Michelangelo said as he pulled up the sleeve of his hoodie exposing his bruised wrist. He tried to pull away but Michelangelo grabbed at his other wrist. He winced in pain.

Leonardo frowned. "Donny what happened?" He asked in concern. A blush flooded his face. He tried to stop it but he couldn't.

Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "Why are you blushing Donny?" He growled. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." He said to his brothers.

"Now why would Kitten tie you up Donny?" Michelangelo asked him.

Leonardo's eyes widened.

Raphael growled. "What did you do to her Donny, that she had to tie you up?"

Michelangelo peered at him, then broke into laughter. "She didn't." Michelangelo said to him. "She did."

"She did what?" Raphael asked angrily.

Michelangelo peered at him and his face grew serious. "Donny did this have to do with what April said at dinner?" His eyes slid away from his baby brother's inquiring gaze. "Humph. Figures." Michelangelo said nodding his head.

"What did April say, what is going on Mikey?" Leonardo asked as he leaned against the desk crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't you remember Leo?" Michelangelo asked quietly. "April was talking about us being compatible with humans, and she was shocked that Katherine was okay with the thought of being with us in a sexual way that would obviously produce kids. Of course she managed to stop what she was going to say before she said it, but the implication was still there. The question would then of course be, would Katherine be okay with us? We aren't human, compatible doesn't mean human, right Donny?" Michelangelo asked him.

Donatello gave a curt nod. "So Donny here keeps mulling this question around in his head. Would she accept the fact that we aren't human beneath our pants? After all, what would be the point of fighting over someone who is going to freak out and run away right? So Donny gets this idea that he's going to treat this like an experiment. He has Kitten alone in the room, it is the perfect opportunity and he is the perfect one who can do the test because he thinks he can just shut his emotions off and use his brain to logically work through it. How am I doing so far Donny?" Michelangelo asked him.

"Something like that." He said turning his head away, a blush riding up his cheeks.

"How do you even start an experiment like that Donny? Just drop trow and hope she doesn't run away?" Raphael asked him.

Michelangelo laughed. "That's exactly what he did."

They were all silent for a moment. Raphael grabbed the bridge of his beak between his eyes. "Okay I want to know, what did she do, scared, repulsed, what? She tied you to the bed Donny."

"Wait for it." Michelangelo said with glee.

"She didn't care." Donatello said softly.

"But Kitten is Kitten, and Donny is Donny, so even if she stold him she didn't care, there would always be some part of Donny that would wonder if she was really just saying that to not hurt his feelings. So she has to prove to him that she doesn't care, but Donny can't touch her, but no one said she couldn't touch him." Michelangelo said with a smile. "So Kitten ties Donny to the bed so he won't touch her." Michelangelo looked at his wrists. "You put up a fight though didn't you? What did she do to you that you struggled so much Donny?" Michelangelo asked him.

Donatello looked at him. "You really want to know Mikey?" He asked his brother.

Michelangelo shrugged and smiled. Michelangelo looked at his brothers. "I vote to lift the no touching ban."

Leonardo strode angrily up to Donatello who flinched at the look in his brother's eyes. "Don't you dare touch him Leonardo." Katherine said from the leather chair behind the desk.

"How long have you been sitting there, and how did you get in here!" Leonardo turned around and marched over, glaring at her from across the desk. "Never mind, I don't care. If you want Donny just choose Donny. You don't have to play with us!" He yelled at her.

She closed her eyes. "Fine." She opened her eyes, looking at Leonardo who looked at her in shock. "You choose"

"What!" He asked her.

"Well since you seem to think it is so easy, you choose for me." She said standing up. "Who gets me Leonardo and whose hearts are you going to break."

"This isn't a game!" Leonardo yelled at her.

"I know that!" She said angrily. Sadness leaked into her voice and eyes as she softly said, "I know." She shook her head the sadness vanishing from her eyes as if it had never been there. Donatello wondered then if he had only imagined it.

"I'm being selfish, I'm sorry. I can't expect you to sit around and wait until I finally choose. I can't hurt any of you like this anymore." She said standing up, her face composed and devoid of all emotion.

Donatello looked at her face as he understood what she was saying. "No." He said shaking his head. "You don't get to just break up with us Katherine." He said angrily, a lump forming in his throat making it so that he could barely talk let alone breathe.

"Donatello, all I am doing is hurting you and your brothers." She insisted.

"You think it will hurt us less if you just walk away?" He said to her.

"Of course it won't hurt less, but maybe you will be able to find someone..." She began as Raphael grabbed her wrist angrily.

"I made you a promise Kitten," Raphael growled. "And I ain't breakin it. I promised not to let anything happen to you, and I'm going to keep that promise, or die tryin'. But," He began heatedly. "You tell me you don't love me and I will let you walk away, AFTER this is done."

"Raphael..." She began.

"Say it!" He yelled at her.

"I.." She snapped her mouth shut as if she couldn't physically say the words which would have been a lie; words which would have allowed Raphael to let her walk away. She clenched her teeth together in anger, tears glittered on dark lashes.

"You need more time, then fine, we'll give you more time." Raphael said desperation leaking into his angry voice. "As long as you love me I ain't letting you go, understand?" Raphael growled.

Katherine looked at Raphael but her gaze slid away from him to look at Michelangelo.

"You're stuck with us Kitten." Michelangelo said with a shrug as he walked over to her and pulled her from Raphael's hold.

Her gaze went to Donatello. "Raph's right." Donatello said as he looked at Leonardo. His eyes slid to his oldest brother whose face was shuttered and cold.

She looked over at Leonardo pulling out of Michelangelo's grasp. Leonardo looked away.

She crawled on the desk and slid towards him. "Don't..." He began before she covered his lips with her finger.

Leonardo struggled. Donatello watched as his brother tried to make himself pull away, and yet couldn't. She wrapped him in her arms.

"Why don't you just pick Raph." Leonardo whispered. "I know you love him the most, just pick him, let the rest of us go Katherine." He whispered.

"Then go Leonardo. Please go. Take the girls, take your brothers and go." She whispered to him. Leonardo looked at her in shock. He shook his head vehemently. "Please Leonardo. My life is not worth that of you and your brothers. I won't have anyone die trying to protect me." She whispered miserably. "You are the only one who can make them go, so please go." She pulled back but Leonardo clutched her to him.

"No." He said his voice breaking. He looked into her eyes. "I won't let you just give up." He growled at her.

"I'm not giving up. I am accepting my fate Leonardo." She said softly.

"You told me," Donatello began angrily, tears that were threatening blinked hastily away. "That you choose your fate, that you choose, not anyone else."

"No Donatello, I said that even if I cannot choose my fate I will control it, and I am. I am protecting those I love by getting them away from me and out of harm's way so that I can deal with whatever comes by myself."

A growl started low in Leonardo's throat. "No! Raph's right. You don't get to walk away from us."

"Leonardo..." She said desperately.

"No. I love you too much to just let you give up. We are going to protect you." Leonardo insisted.

Michelangelo looked at Katherine intently as if he were thinking about something. "That's why you won't choose, isn't it Kitten?" Katherine looked at Michelangelo. "You don't think you are going to live through this, so there would be no point in choosing if you are just going to die anyway."

"Michelangelo." She said letting out a defeated breath. "I'm sorry I'm being selfish. I just want to be with the men I love, for as long as I can." She whispered. "I'm just looking at this logically. I can't win. I've died so many times, what makes this time any different from all of my other lives?" She asked reasonably.

Michelangelo contemplated her silently. "You have us." Michelangelo said as he pulled her out of Leonardo's arms and pulled her into a crushing embrace. "You don't get to give up. You promise me that you will fight."

Katherine was silent a moment before she nodded. "I will fight against my fate." She whispered.

"You had better." Michelangelo growled. Michelangelo looked at his brothers seriously. "I want to be able to touch her."

Katherine's eyes widened in shock. Donatello nodded his agreement.

Raphael's gaze narrowed. "Choice between touching you and not, but knowing that if I touch you I have to let them touch you." He growled as he strode over to her pulling her from Michelangelo's arms. "I don't even want to know what the hell you did to Donny." He took her chin between two fingers. "But I want to be able to have my chance to make you scream out my name." He said as he hauled her into his arms and kissed her roughly.

Leonardo strode over and pulled her from Raphael's arms. Leonardo enfolded her in his arms. "I want to be the one who is first in your heart Katherine, but if it takes all of us to keep you alive, then fine, we will all date you until this is over, then you choose." He looked at Michelangelo. "Don't touch her, and you don't touch him, got it?" He said to her.

Katherine nodded. "We had better let Casey and April in and let them know what is going on, they already think you guys have gone insane." She said softly.

"Yeah, April probably thinks you've put us under a spell or something." Michelangelo said with a quirk of his lips. "Were you a witch in a former life Kitten?" He asked playfully.

Katherine went chalk white. The laughter and smile left Michelangelo's face as he looked at her. Donatello realized then that he and Leonardo hadn't actually filled Michelangelo in about Kathlynn. He knew that Katherine had been burned, but they hadn't told him about the fact that Kathlynn had been burned alive at the stake for being a witch.

Leonardo pulled Katherine closer, but she was pushing him away, a worried glance going to Raphael. Raphael didn't know what had happened to Katherine. He didn't know about her burns, he believed Donatello was just changing the dressing on her arm and that the reason she had been on oxygen was for shock.

Raphael had gone grey. He sat down hard in the leather chair at the desk. Katherine knelt in front of him. "Don't remember Raphael, please don't."

"I remember you screaming as you burned." He whispered. "That demon laughing." Raphael closed his eyes in agony. His eyes snapped open. "Let me see your legs Katherine." He demanded.

"Raphael." She begged him.

"Now!" He snapped.

Katherine was wearing hip hugging skin tight pink sweats that flared from the knee down. She pulled up one leg exposing her bandage wrapped calf. Raphael pulled up the other one. He grimly looked at her. "You began to burn?" He asked voice shaking.

She pulled the legs of her pants down. "I began to burn as Kathlynn began to burn, yes. My burns are not serious Raphael, and you were not burned for which I am grateful."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Raphael whispered.

"Because I do not want you to remember something so horrible." She said to him. "No one should have to see that, no one should have to remember that."

Raphael pulled her into his lap. "I am so sorry." He whispered pulling her close. "You shouldn't have to remember something like that. Why, why are these dreams happening, who wants you dead Katherine?" He asked her.

Katherine pursed her lips. "Let Casey and April in, it will be easier to explain everything only once." She said grimly.

Michelangelo glumly walked to the door opening it. April was lifting her hand to the door as if she were going to knock.

"Come in April, Casey." Donatello said to them.

April looked at Katherine who was wrapped in Raphael's arms. Raphael clutched Katherine tighter. April frowned.

"Where are the girls?" Casey asked.

"Asleep. They sleep during the day and are awake all night. They tried to stay awake once during the day and it didn't work out so well." Donatello told him with a shrug.

April crossed her arms. "Now will someone please tell me what is going on?"

They all looked at each other. _Where did they even begin?_

"I have been having nightmares, or rather, I have been experiencing memories of past lives." Katherine began. "It is my belief that I am being warned that my life is in danger." She said bluntly. 'Something hunts me, a demon I believe, but he is not the only one. Unfortunately I do not know who or what the other thing is." Katherine said. Stunned silence greeted Katherine's words.

"I need to sit down." April said taking a seat on a wing chair.

"It is my belief Raphael, that the nightmares were not intended to harm me, they were a warning, but," She looked at her hand. "Whatever is happening to me, whatever power I possess made the dreams real because the memory was real. I do not believe I will have any more of these nightmares, but Leonardo wants one of you to sleep with me anyway, just to make sure."

Raphael nodded. Katherine wrapped her arms around Raphael's neck. She leaned her cheek against his head.

"Okay." Raphael said. "So why is there a demon trying to kill you?" He asked.

Katherine shook her head. "I don't know. The demon confronts me head on trying to kill me personally, but whatever else is out there trying to kill me, it kills me with accidents and freak twists of chance." Katherine frowned. "But what if whatever else that is trying to kill me is getting impatient? I am old. Compared to how old my other incarnations were I'm practically..." Katherine stopped and paled. 'One day, one day soon, he will want you.' That is what the demon whispered through the smoke. I don't think he thought that I could hear him, but I did." She whispered.

She pulled herself from Raphael's arms and began to pace her mind working furiously. "Who is He? And why would He want me?" She whispered to herself. She shook her head. "Strange things have begun happening since I arrived here. How many times have I nearly been killed?" SHe asked as she began ticking points off on her fingers. "The Red Dragon's bullet, Raphael's sai, the car on Halloween, the black ice, the gas station..." She paused in thought.

"What about the thugs in the park?" Raphael asked.

Katherine frowned. "It was rather random, they didn't seem to want anything, but they seemed interested in attacking you." Katherine said to him.

Raphael shook his head. "One was interested in me, the other was interested in you. It felt like they were interested in disabling me, but...The guy picked you up by the throat, that would have taken an enormous amount of strength now that I think about it, and that guy didn't look big enough to do it, and he had a knife Kitten. I saw it."

Katherine paled. "I didn't know." She said softly.

Leonardo looked at her. "Most of the attacks have happened while you have been outside. I don't want you leaving the house anymore." Leonardo ordered. He straightened from where he was leaning against the desk and walked over to her. She glared at him. Leonardo closed his eyes. "Please don't leave the house anymore, at least until we can figure that out, okay?" He asked her gently as he reached out and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

"Look, he can be taught." She said with a smile. Her face turned serious and she nodded leaning into Leonardo. His arms went around her.

Leonardo looked at Casey and April. "We don't have the right to ask you to put yourselves in danger for us and for Katherine, but if you can help us protect her, and the two little girls sleeping upstairs..."

"Leo just shut it bro." Casey said to him. "We always got your backs, no matter what. Right April?"

April nodded her agreement. "Hey Leo?" April said to him.

"Yeah April?" Leonardo asked.

"Laundry needs to go into the dryer." She told him with a smile and folding her arms over her chest. Leonardo looked at her in surprise. "You guys have been getting lazy, making Katherine do all the housework and laundry and cooking. Me and Katherine are going to have a little girl time." She said as she stood. "Have fun." She said as Katherine pulled herself out of Leonardo's arms.

Katherine grinned.

"Chick flick?" April asked her as she took Katherine's arm leading her from the library.

Casey looked after the two of them in concern. "I'm kinda scared about those two being alone together." Casey said with a frown.

"What, you scared April's going to say bad things about you?" Raphael said with a laugh.

"Do you have any idea what happens when chicks get together?" Casey asked him.

"So what they talk, they giggle..." Raphael said with a shrug.

"Talk about how much guys suck and I end up sleeping on the couch. You guys got more to worry about than me though." Casey said with a smile. "Katherine's got 4 of you to complain about, oh and April's known you guys for 10 years, and I am sure she's got some pretty embarrassing stories she could share." Casey said with a grin. "Actually that may be kinda funny." The brothers looked at each other. "Come on Raph, I could use a beer." Casey said as he dragged his older brother from the library.

Donatello looked at his remaining brothers.


	29. Chapter 29

Hello all! Just wanted to throw out a huge thanks to Forgottenforever and rinpup14 for thier awesome reviews! Thank you so much!

*Delicate cough...again* Yeah, this chapter rated M adult content and kink, so enjoy! =) also this chapter is kinda long...again! sorry about that.

* * *

Chapter 29

**Katherine** was listening to April intently. "So then Mikey is bugging Raph and you know Raph, he just hates being teased. So Raph loses it and charges Mikey, only Donny's cooked up some noxious substance that he is trying to get rid of because it just reeked, well Raph runs into Donny and Donny dumps this stuff all over Raph and himself, which would have been funny all on its own, only the smell doesn't come off. They both reeked for weeks until the smell wore off. Michelangelo called them the dynamic duo of stench for weeks. " April finished. Katherine fell over laughing. "Of course there was also the time when the guys got Leo drunk..." April began again. "...woke up covered in my makeup."

Katherine laughed even harder. April held up her glass of wine. "To men, who for reasons unknown, we love." They clinked their glasses together and each took a sip.

They were sitting on April's bed, drinking wine and doing girly things. They had so far given each other manicures, pedicures, done their hair and makeup and Katherine was now listening to embarrassing stories about the brothers.

Katherine had never really been much into doing girly things, but she wasn't opposed to it, it had just never really happened.

April suddenly turned serious. "I was thinking about what you said earlier." She said softly. Katherine looked at her in surprise. April finished off her glass of wine and poured another glass while topping Katherine's glass off. Katherine looked at the wine. If she finished this glass off she was going to be drunk, actually she was getting close to being drunk already. "I've never really thought about how lonely they must have been. I mean, usually when you are in love you want everyone you love to be just as happy as you are, but I never extended that wish to the guys and they are my best friends." She said wretchedly.

"April..." She began.

"They love you. I am trying to wrap my head around the kind of relationship you would all have with them having to share you but, you really do love them, all of them. I just want them to be as happy as I am. I am glad they have found someone who loves them so much." She said to her. "But..." She began. "This is going to come out wrong, and sound really worse than I mean it to, but I need to know. How can you be attracted to them? Don't get me wrong they are my best friends and I love them with all my heart, but, that is all they have ever been to me, just friends. They have never inspired within me any other feeling and I cannot say even if I would have met them now rather than 10 years ago when they were just teenagers, that I would feel any different.

Katherine frowned in thought. "I suppose it started with their eyes." She began softly. "When I looked into Raphael's eyes when his sai plunged into me, I saw within his eyes, fear, determination, horror, despair, guilt, and panic, but underneath all of those emotions I saw loneliness. I felt as if at that moment in time, the world caught its breath, as if something so amazing had happened that the world literally stopped spinning, stopped moving for a split second. I looked into his soul and he looked into mine and our souls rang together."

Katherine looked at April. "Of course even though this happened I didn't really think about it at the time, and the moment was so quick it may almost have never happened, but when I awoke later I remembered all of their eyes, and all of their scents. To me they smell so incredibly intoxicating I cannot help but want to be surrounded by them. Raphael smells just that little more intoxicating, Donatello as well but...Their appearance was something I honestly never thought about. They just are and my body reacts to them, it always has. Touching them just feels right." Katherine blinked and smiled."Sorry, I'm getting into the realm of TMI." Katherine said with a blush.

April looked at her in shock. "Have you and they...you know?" She asked.

Katherine shook her head. "No. Leonardo still wants me to choose only one of them, so there is a 'no touching' ban." She said softly. "Until this is all over."

April frowned. "Why does it sound as if you prefer Raphael or even Donatello?"

Katherine frowned and shrugged. "I don't...prefer Raphael or Donatello." She said slowly. "My feelings for Raphael are...complicated, but I feel as though...Raphael is part of me somehow, like none of his brothers are." She said softly. "And as for Donatello...he is mine, in a way none of his brothers are." She frowned. "I can't even explain what I just said. But I love Leonardo and Michelangelo as well, almost as if somehow they are connected to me in a way I can't even begin to explain." Katherine said as she stood. She reached down and took the tarot card she had been sitting on and tucked it into her pocket. "I know this is hard. I know it's hard for all of us. This sort of thing shouldn't happen. You should love one person, simple, easy. Lust I can understand. Being in love and in lust with someone else, but in love as well." She shook her head. "Dealing with one man is hard enough, four is just a recipe for disaster." She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know, all I know is that we have what we have for now and I suppose we will just have to see what happens." She said softly.

* * *

**Raphael** looked at Casey. Casey whistled in appreciation as he walked past the motorcycle, the hummer and the Porsche. "Nice rides, you driven any of these yet?" Casey asked him.

Raphael shook his head as he took a swig of beer. "Haven't had the time , haven't needed to storm out and clear my head."

Casey looked at him. "Love agrees with you bro." Raphael's eyes widened in shock, but shrugged and took another swig of beer. "But, how do you really feel?"

He looked at his best friend and grimaced. "I feel like kicking my brother's asses, all of them. I hate it when they touch her, I hate it when they kiss her and I hate it even more when they even look at her." He growled. "You think I like the idea of having the woman I love being with the rest of my brothers too?" He shook his head. "I hate it with every fibre of my being, but..." He frowned. "Case I ain't a deep complicated guy. I like beating things up, I like throwin' my weight around, I like watching sports and drinkin the occasional beer. That's it." He sat down and looked at his feet. "I'm always angry and even though I always bug Mikey about being the dumb one, I know that I'm the one who's just the brainless thug." He said softly.

"Raph..." Casey began.

"No Case, I have no illusions, I know who I am, I know what I am capable of, and I sure as hell know that I have no right to even look at Kitten let alone touch her. But she treats me like I'm not just a thug, and that I'm not some sort of freak of nature. She treats me like I have a brain in my head, and that everything that comes out of my mouth is worth listening to. She trusts me to never hurt her and to protect her, and that is...humbling. To have someone like her think that I am worth as much as Donny or Leo or even Mikey." He said shaking his head. "But most of all, I'm scared that if she does choose, it won't be me that she ends up with. Leo seems to thinks she'd choose me, but I'm not so sure. If push came to shove, I think she'd choose Donny."

Raphael paused and took a deep breath. "She loves me Case, I know she does, and I get why she hasn't chosen between us. She's in danger and she thinks she's going to die, and the thought that she may be right..." He shook his head cutting off his grim thoughts. He looked his friend in the eye. "Knowing that her life is in danger, knowing that I may lose her, it makes everything I feel seem almost unimportant. I don't like that we are all dating her, but I would rather have her than give her up, for any reason." He growled. "I know this probably isn't making any sense, but..." He shrugged. "It's what I have to tell myself each time I see one of my brothers hold her." He gave a humourless smile. "Course we technically have a no touching ban in effect until Leo wraps his head around the idea anyway." He said with a shrug.

Casey frowned. "I think you don't give yourself enough credit Raph." Casey smiled. "Can't say I blame you though, she's smokin hot." Casey said.

Raphael smiled and clinked Casey's beer and took a swig. "I'll drink to that."

* * *

**Michelangelo** looked at the woman in his arms. Donatello was staying up with the girls that night. The girls had wanted Donatello to help them with something and Michelangelo had a pretty good idea what they had wanted help with. So far they had seemed to have roped all of them into helping with their little 'project'.

"So why aren't you sleeping?" Michelangelo asked her gently.

Katherine looked up at him. "I am worried about Raphael." She said softly.

Michelangelo sighed. "Just what every man wants to hear, that the woman he loves is thinking about his brother." He said half serious.

"Not like that Michelangelo." She said as she reached up and kissed him. He pulled away from her kiss before he became tempted by her. "I am worried that Raphael will begin to think, try to remember, even though he promised not to." She said softly.

Michelangelo closed his eyes, guilt washing over him. It was his fault he made Raphael remember at least a part of what he had seen. "Katherine..." He began.

"Shh, Michelangelo," She said as she covered his lips with a finger. "It was not your fault. I should have known this would come about eventually."

He nodded and pulled her closer. "You don't have to worry too much Kitten, Raph isn't big on thinking you know. Usually you just point him in the direction of a fight and just let him go. He tends to leave the thinking to everyone else."

"Yes but...it involves me." Katherine said softly.

Michelangelo looked down at the top of Katherine's head. Raphael had never been a big thinker, never been one to overextend his energies, or think about anyone other than himself, but with Katherine, everything about Raphael's personality had been overhauled. He was more patient, kinder, more thoughtful. Michelangelo frowned. He opened his arms releasing her. "You had better make sure my older brother isn't trying to break his mind." He said to her.

She nodded as she slid from the bed. She stood and offered him her hand. He looked at it in confusion.

"Leonardo ordered you to look after me, so you are stuck with guard duty I am afraid, come on." She said with a smile. They walked to the door and opened it quietly. Looking down the hall they saw no one and so they proceeded to Raphael's bedroom. Katherine quietly opened Raphael's door and walked into the darkened room with him trailing after.

* * *

**Raphael** opened his eyes as his door opened. Katherine quietly stepped into his room.

"Kitten?" He asked quietly as he sat up.

"Why are you not sleeping Raphael?" She asked softly as Michelangelo followed her in.

Raphael frowned. "What's he doin' here?" Raphael asked.

"Leonardo has him on guard duty, I could not leave him without Leonardo getting angry with him. So why are you not sleeping?" She asked again.

He glared at his baby brother and then shrugged. "I couldn't sleep." He grumbled. He couldn't sleep because every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Katherine burning, not Kathlynn, Katherine, and the demon laughing. The demon's taunting voice was one he couldn't get out of his head.

Katherine sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at him in concern. "I'm not trying to remember, but..." He stopped cutting himself off before he revealed too much.

"The image remains." Katherine said softly. She crawled over to him and put her hand lightly on his cheek.

"I just...Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is..." He began momentarily forgetting his baby brother was in the room. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Michelangelo.

"I know." Katherine whispered. "But you are going to have to sleep, just as I must close my eyes and sleep." She said softly.

Raphael blew out a frustrated breath. "I know." He grumbled. "How did you get to sleep last night?" He asked her.

"Um..." She said then shrugged.

It was then Raphael remembered. She had been with Donatello. He growled low in his throat. He wasn't going to think about that. "Well now that you know I'm not going to try to remember, you and Mikey can go back to bed." He said sharply.

She looked at him intently. She looked as if she was thinking about something. "You know..." Katherine said softly. "Leonardo only said I was not allowed to touch Michelangelo."

Raphael froze. "But that isn't what Leo meant." He said with a voice that was suddenly a little too high.

She shrugged. "Leonardo has to learn to be more specific."

Raphael looked over Katherine's shoulder. "Out." He commanded his baby brother.

Michelangelo was still staring at Katherine in shock.

"Well, he can't leave. Leonardo was very specific." Katherine said with a shrug.

"Don't care. I ain't havin my baby brother sitting here watching like some perv." He said to her.

Katherine yawned stretching her arms over her head. She shrugged and snuggled in under the covers. She reached over and held out her hand to Michelangelo. "Come on Michelangelo, time for bed."

Michelangelo walked to the bed and climbed in beside her.

"Mikey what are you doing, get out." Raphael growled.

"Sorry Raph, Kitten's right, I go where she goes. If she wants to sleep with you, then I'm stuck sleeping with you too," Michelangelo said with a shrug as he pulled Katherine into him. "After all, it's my turn to sleep with her, and considering you have been sleeping with her for so long, it really is only fair."

"Mikey I believe what you are doing is called cock blocking." Raphael growled.

"Well you can't touch her anyway and besides if I can't have her touch me, sorry if I don't sympathize. Night Kitten, night Raph."

"Goodnight Michelangelo, goodnight Raphael." Katherine said huskily.

Raphael ground his teeth in frustration. Well, he could wait until tomorrow he supposed...Only...Damn it, Leonardo would tell him the same thing that he told Michelangelo tonight. But the only way she would touch him is if he basically had an almost threesome with his brother. He closed his eyes. _Not going to happen_. Katherine put her hand lightly over his waist and she pulled him closer to her. Michelangelo was spooning her at the moment and he was facing her.

He tried to sleep. _What had she done to Donatello?_ He closed his eyes more tightly. No, he wasn't going to think about it. He wasn't going to think about all of the times he spent with her ass pressed tightly against him. He wasn't going to think of how he burned with the need of her to touch him.

"Damn it!" He screamed in frustration. Katherine and his brother looked at him in shock. He pulled Katherine tightly against him. "I'm the first you got it. I'm the one who gets to make you mine first, understand?" He growled into her ear.

She held his face close to hers. She brought her lips close to his ear. "I exist because you exist Raphael. For now and always."

His eyes widened in shock at the possessiveness of her voice. Lust coursed through him. He crushed her to him as he claimed her mouth. His hands brushed down her side. Katherine pulled back and sat up. "We can't have you touching me Raphael." She said softly as Michelangelo wrapped an arm around her waist. His eyes glinted in the dark. She turned just enough to claim Michelangelo's mouth in a searing kiss.

Michelangelo grabbed the hem of Katherine's shirt and pulled it up and over her head. Michelangelo kissed her neck and Katherine closed her eyes her breasts tightening with desire. Michelangelo pulled her up and looked at him. "Pull." He growled.

Raphael grabbed the band of Katherine's pants and pulled her pants and underwear off in one smooth motion.

He looked at her held in his brother's arms and he went hard. Her breasts were heaving with desire as she looked at him with heavy lust filled eyes. She wanted him so badly he could smell the scent of her desire. His mind blanked and stalled at this. At that moment he wanted nothing but to claim her as his.

"You are going to have to help me tie him up Michelangelo." Katherine said in a husky voice.

His mind couldn't process what she was saying until his baby brother knocked him over.

"Mikey if you want to still be breathing in the morning you had better get off of me right now." He growled in a deadly low voice.

Michelangelo chuckled. "She's doin this for your own good Raph."

"Screw Leo." Raphael roared as he felt deft hands binding his together quickly and efficiently.

Raphael tried to thrash, but his brother held him fast. "This is kinda kinky Kitten. I would never have pegged you as the kinky type." Michelangelo said to her through hooded eyes.

He stopped struggling and looked at Katherine curiously. She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye, but she didn't answer.

Instead she just looked at him. He swallowed. "Choose." She said to him.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"You must choose now, if you are uncomfortable with this you need to say something now before I shove this gag in your mouth." She said seriously.

"What?" He said in confusion.

Michelangelo chuckled. "Can't have you screaming and bringing down the wrath of Leo."

"I'm not going to be screaming." Raphael said as he pulled on the pillowcases she had used to bind him.

A challenging glint entered Katherine's eyes. "Is that a challenge Raphael?" She asked silkily.

He swallowed again.

"Sounded like a challenge to me." Michelangelo said into Katherine's neck.

"What the hell are you doing Mikey?" Raphael growled at him.

His brother looked at him. "As much as I can." He said as he buried his face in Katherine's neck.

"Last chance Raphael." Katherine almost groaned out as she arched thrusting her breasts forward. She looked at him with sultry eyes.

He remained silent, as if by not saying anything he was neither agreeing to nor disagreeing to a threesome. Katherine leaned forward and shoved the gag in his mouth. "So what do I get if I make you scream Raphael?" She asked him.

He of course couldn't talk. She just smiled at him. His eyes wandered to where Michelangelo had went. He couldn't see him anymore. He suddenly felt her bite him in the shoulder. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at her. "You are supposed to be paying attention to me." She whispered softly.

He blinked at her in shock. The bite hadn't been hard but it sure got his attention. He growled at her. "Look at me. You want me to dominate you, I know you want me to, because I can." She whispered. Her voice rode over him making him even harder. Her tongue licked the spot on his shoulder where she had bit him. Her tounge traced up and flicked over the pulse in his neck. He felt the scrape of teeth again and he shivered. She pulled the gag from his mouth and he relaxed as she kissed him. She broke from their kiss and explored the other side of his throat as she put the gag back in his mouth.

Suddenly she was gone, his eyes which had drifted closed, opened trying to find her. She was sitting at his hips. She took hold of his pants and pulled, untangling them from his legs so all he was wearing were his black boxer briefs. She leaned over and pulled his underwear down just enough for her tongue to lick the hollow of his hip. He gasped. She trailed kisses along the skin that bordered his plastron. "How badly do you want me?" She asked.

_How badly do you think? _He growled through the gag.

She smirked at him as she pulled herself up and onto his body. She placed her lips by his ear. "Do you burn with need, is your lust trying to consume you?" She asked as her hand stroked him once lightly through his underwear.

He closed his eyes at the sensation. "Do you imagine plunging yourself into me?" She asked. "Over and over stroking and plunging making pleasure begin to pool low in my belly."

Lust and need burned hotter through him. _How the hell was she doing that! She wasn't even touching him, but the sound of her voice and the images she was describing..._ Then he moaned as he felt her tongue rasp along his hardened length. He looked at her in shock. His underwear was gone. _When the hell did that happen? _He asked himself as she brought her lips down and kissed his inner thigh. Her tongue flicked out. He struggled as he burned with need. "Will your pace be fast and hard?" She asked as she squeezed him. She began stroking him quickly and firmly. Pleasure welled up in him as she brought him close to the brink. He groaned in frustration as he felt her stop. He looked at her as she looked at him. She crawled back up to him pulling the gag out and kissing him roughly, her tongue brushing against his. She plunged her tongue into his mouth quick and hard.

"Or will the pace be torturous and slow?" She asked as she put the gag back in his mouth. She slid back down and delicately dragged her tongue up from base to tip. She swirled her tongue as she tortured and teased, the movement of her tongue almost painfully slow. She brought him again to the very brink and then pulled him back by removing her torturous tongue. He bit down hard on the gag silencing his scream of frustration. He pulled against his bonds. He looked up at the knots that bound him. _He was going to track down and kill whoever taught her how to tie a knot!_ He looked at her as he panted. She seemed unconcerned about what she was doing to him as she traced swirls with her finger over his hip bone. She smiled at him as she pulled herself up.

"Do you know why I keep pulling you from the brink?" She asked as she whispered into his ear. He looked over at her but he couldn't see her face.

_Because you are an evil, evil woman. _He said to her through the gag.

He heard the smile in her voice. "Because even now pleasure is still floating, still swirling, still coursing through you, and every time I bring you to the brink I add to it just that little bit more. Think of all of the times you have touched yourself, brought yourself with quick sure strokes closer and closer towards orgasm." She whispered in his ear. "This won't be like that."

His eyes widened in shock. _How did she...? Why would she think of something like that? Say something like_...his mind blanked and his world shattered as she slid down him and took him into her mouth. She squeezed him hard as her tongued swirled and she sucked him hard. His back arched off the bed as he screamed. The orgasm rode through him in a punishing wave. He struggled as wave after wave coursed through him.

He looked down at the woman sitting in-between his legs. He was panting hard and slick with sweat. She rose up on her knees. "My turn." She whispered.

_Her turn for what? _His pleasure fogged brain vaguely wondered. She spread her legs and plunged a finger inside of herself.

His eyes widened in shock. Green arms went around her stomach as Michelangelo pressed up against her. He didn't touch her, just held her as she torturously slid wet fingers into herself.

He watched in fascination, and then in frustration. It should be _his_ fingers working her into a frenzy, it should be _his_ tongue licking the wetness from between her legs, it should be _his_ cock plunging into her, making her scream with ecstasy. She looked at him, green eyes so dark with desire they were nearly black. He pulled furiously at the bods that held him from touching her. He looked at the post that held him. _He was going to kill whoever had made this damn bed!_ He screamed in his head as he thrashed. He looked down at himself. He was hard and aching again. She threw her head back as she moaned her orgasm. Michelangelo bit her neck hard muffling his own moan of pleasure. She pulled out wet slicked fingers as Michelangelo grabbed her hand, brought her fingers up to his mouth and licked. Katherine looked at him with lust heavy eyes and stroked him. Raphael closed his eyes as he came again, screaming into his gag. The second orgasm was almost painful in its intensity.

Raphael opened his eyes and panted. His wrists felt raw, his throat felt raw and his body felt like a giant pile of boneless mush. Katherine kissed Michelangelo who was still holding her tightly, her back against his chest. She pulled, turned, and looked at him. He closed his eyes.

He felt her slide off the bed. He felt her untie his wrists from the post. She pulled out his gag and put his arms, which protested painfully, back at his sides.

"How many?" He asked her.

"How many what?" He heard her ask in confusion.

"How many men have you been with?" He asked quietly as he looked at her.

She looked at him in surprise then smiled. "None. You were the first man to ever kiss me Raphael." She said softly a blush rising up her cheeks.

He looked at her in surprise. _Now she was blushing?_ "What do you mean none?" He asked as he sat up and rubbed his wrists. Michelangelo was standing behind her, his arms wrapped securely around her.

"None as in...none. I'm still a virgin and I've never fooled around with anyone, except for Donatello." She said with a shrug.

"Then how...?" He asked because he couldn't finish the question.

Michelangelo chuckled. "How many pornos have you watched Kitten?" He purred in her ear.

She laughed. "Twenty, they were very...informative." She said with a quirk of her lips.

"And you called me the perv." Michelangelo said to her.

She laughed again. "That is because you are. I watched those for purely academic reasons."

"Purely academic?" Michelangelo raised an eye ridge.

"I did an essay called_ The changing views of human sexuality from the Kama Sutra to the modern porn industry_." She said with a mischievous smile.

"Wait, you've read the Kama Sutra?" Raphael whispered through a throat too tight to talk.

"Studied it would be a better choice of words. Several times, and I have a photographic memory." She said with a shrug.

Raphael rubbed a hand down his face. His vision was going speckled and black.

"I think he's going to faint." Michelangelo said curiously.

"I'm not going to faint." He growled as he tried to get his breathing steady. She would kill him. If he tried to have sex with her, it would probably kill him. He looked at her. Even without actual hands on experience as it were, she was still so much more experienced, he would never be able to live up to any sort of expectation.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at his brother. "Don't think about it like that." Michelangelo whispered in his ear. "It takes two to tango, it just means she gets to lead, that's all." Michelangelo said with a wink as he stripped off his pants and underwear dropping them to the floor in disgust.

Raphael heard the shower turn on. "Let's get cleaned up." Michelangelo said pulling him to his feet.

"Mikey did you...?" He asked.

Michelangelo stopped and looked at him raising an eye ridge in question. "What, cum in my pants, twice? Yes." He said to him. "Maybe I am a perv, but watching her with you," He shook his head. "Her voice could tempt angels I swear. But yeah, I watched, and yeah, it got me off." He said with a shrug as he walked to the bathroom.

Katherine was already in the shower. He watched as the water coursed down her body. Water trickled down her arm over the bullet wound. Her other arm was still bruised from Leonardo's crushing grip. Water caressed full breasts to trail down past the scar he gave her. The water continued to roll down her pale skin to the angry red burns that covered her calves.

Michelangelo stepped into the shower pulling her roughly against him. Raphael watched wondering if watching his brother with her would have had the same reaction for him as it had for Michelangelo. Somehow he didn't think so. He stepped into the shower sandwiching her between himself and Michelangelo. They washed, dried themselves and crawled back between the sheets.

Raphael ran what had happened through his head. He looked down at the woman who had her head buried in his shoulder facing him, arm lightly draped over his waist. Michelangelo's arm was lightly draped over her waist, her back to him. He had loaned Michelangelo a pair of sweats. "You aren't a perv Michelangelo." Katherine said softly.

Michelangelo looked at her in shock as she looked at him.

"I think everyone has a little bit of the voyeur in them, but you watched something that you could relate to, a human woman with a mutant turtle. Everyone has different preferences. Donatello likes pain, you don't mind watching, Raphael doesn't mind being watched." Katherine said with a slight smile.

"And what do you prefer Kitten?" Raphael asked huskily.

"Apparently, all of the above." She answered huskily back.

He closed his eyes. She was too smart for him. He grimaced. What better way to prove that he could share than to actually share. He looked down at her head. Yeah, he could share, and watching his baby brother hold her in his arms didn't really seem to bother him as much anymore. He gave a wry smirk. "You going to try to pull the same thing with Leo?" He asked.

Katherine looked up at him. She shook her head. "Leonardo would not be okay with this." She said softly.

"Too much of a prude?" Raphael asked with a chuckle.

"No, he would probably be okay with it eventually, but Leonardo wants too badly for me to choose _just_ him. Flinging something like this in his face would just...hurt him. Leonardo has to accept the situation all on his own, in his own time." She said softly.

Michelangelo began to snore lightly. Katherine pulled him closer. "I love you Raphael." She whispered to him as she pulled him in for a kiss.

"I love you too Katherine." He said to her. "Kitten?" He asked quietly.

"Mmm?" Was the mumbled reply.

"What did you mean that you exist because I exist?" He asked her quietly so as to not disturb his sleeping brother.

"I'm not sure. I can't explain it. Just...I feel as if our hearts beat as one. Maybe it is really you who is first in my heart, maybe it is because you were the one I fell in love with first." He looked down at her in shock. "I don't know," She continued. "But all of your brothers are in my heart just as much as you are." She whispered.

"Are you ever going to be able to choose Katherine?" He asked her seriously.

"I don't know Raphael, all I know is that I just want to live through whatever is trying to kill me." She said softly. "But I will have to choose because..." She began but Raphael cut her off.

"Just...stay alive okay. I don't care at the moment that we are all with you. I just..." He clutched her to him harder. "I'm first Kitten, promise me, I will the first man who gets to make love to you, and you will be my first." He said to her.

"I promise." She said to him.

He closed his eyes as he drifted off to a peaceful dreamless sleep

* * *

Bad Kitty, Bad Mikey, bad Raph! LOL


	30. Chapter 30

Okay I know it is the beginning of Summer so it may be a little strange to think about Christmas, but when I began the story it was Winter and I wanted it to happen in the winter so that I could include Halloween into the story. So enjoy enjoy a second Christmas! LOL

As always thank you Forgottenforever for your awesome reviews!

* * *

Chapter 30

**April** strode down the hallway. She was frustrated because she couldn't find anyone. The girls were sleeping and so was Donatello because he had spent the entire night up with them. Michelangelo, Raphael, Katherine and Leonardo were all MIA.

It was almost noon and she had explored the house several times over. Casey was in the garage still drooling over the vehicles. He was itching to ask Katherine if he could drive the Porsche.

She knew which rooms were which. She also knew that Katherine was supposed to be with Michelangelo. She knocked on Michelangelo's door and walked in. The room looked slept in, but empty. She frowned. So where was she? It was like playing the card game where you had to find the Queen. The only reason she was okay with opening the doors and trying to rouse her hostess was because she knew she wouldn't be catching any of them naked and doing anything thanks to Leonardo's no touching ban. She looked at Raphael's door. She didn't really want to barge in and bother Raphael, but she didn't see there being much of a choice since she figured she couldn't be with Leonardo.

She sighed and opened Raphael's door. Light was streaming in the windows falling upon the figures in the bed. Katherine was laying on her back between Raphael and Michelangelo. Raphael was on his stomach half sprawled over her, while Michelangelo was laying on his side, facing her, one arm thrown over her belly. April blushed.

"What are you doing April?" Leonardo asked as he stood behind her.

She quickly closed the door on the sleeping figures. The last thing Leonardo needed to see was that.

"I...I'm looking for Katherine." She said lamely.

"In Raph's room?" Leonardo questioned as he took in her blush. He pushed her out of the way and opened the door.

"Since when did knocking become something no one did?" Raphael growled. April looked over Leonardo's shoulder. Raphael was pulling a hoodie over his head, standing in his underwear and glaring at her. "Knock much April, or has Kitten got you curious?" He asked with a leer. Of Katherine and Michelangelo there was no sign.

There was a loud thump and a shout further down the hall. Leonardo looked down the hall and strode to the first door coming up the stairs. April looked back at Raphael who had put on a pair of pants and who put a finger to his lips. Raphael walked up to her. "Didn't touch her April and neither did Mikey, but you know Leo." He said with a shrug as he exited the room.

Katherine and Michelangelo were heaving a mattress off a bed. "Morning." Katherine said brightly. "These sheets can go, and the mattress seems fine, which is a relief. I was afraid it had begun to burn as well, but I wanted to check underneath as well, just to make sure." Michelangelo stood behind the mattress chest bare and wearing only a pair of sweats. "Okay Michelangelo." She said as Michelangelo pulled the mattress back onto the bed.

"It will be nice to have my room back." She said to Leonardo. She turned to April. "I'm sorry April I know I am the worst hostess ever, but you can tell Casey he can drive whatever he wants." She said with a smile."I'm very excited." She said turning her bright smile to Leonardo. He blinked at her in confusion. "It's Christmas eve!" She said clapping her hands together, and we are going to open presents tonight since the girls will be awake, isn't that great?"

Leonardo and Raphael looked visibly stunned. "Yeah, great." They said without enthusiasm.

Katherine and Michelangelo shared a smirk with each other. "Hey April, can I talk to you a sec?" Raphael said practically dragging her from the room. Leonardo followed quickly on his heels. They dragged her down the hall, down the stairs and into the library.

"April what do we do?" They asked her desperately.

"Do?" She asked completely adrift.

"I never got Katherine anything for Christmas, in fact I never got anyone anything." Raphael said desperately. "I don't even know what to get her!"

She looked at Leonardo who was nodding, a desperate look in his eyes as well. April sighed. _Who knew she would actually have to help the guys out with girl problems._

"You guys know that she knows that you never got her anything right?" She said to them.

They looked at each other. "But..." Leonardo said.

She sighed. Men. They were so clueless. She supposed it didn't matter if the man was human or mutated turtle, a man was a man.

"She isn't expecting you to get her anything, and I don't think she wants anything." April said to them. "She is excited for the girls and for Mikey who did get you guys something." They looked at her in confusion. "Mikey obviously managed to get out and by everyone something for Christmas. My advice, don't worry about it, just enjoy the fact that your girlfriend isn't high maintenance." April said with a shrug.

Blushes bloomed on both of their cheeks. April smiled at them. "She really does love you, all of you. In fact I am rather in awe of how much she loves you." She said quietly. "Love like that, it is something so rare. She loves you unconditionally. She loves you, just as you are." April said as she turned and left the shocked brothers standing in the library.

She bumped into a panicked Donatello a few moments later. She told him the same thing she had told Raphael and Leonardo, to not worry about a present for Katherine.

Katherine and Michelangelo disappeared for the better part of the day to wrap presents. Soon the house was filled with the excited chatter of the two girls. April hadn't really had a chance to talk or look at the girls much. But April couldn't deny that they looked exactly like carbon copies of Katherine.

They pulled their respective 'fathers' to the tree. They were very excited. They wanted to be the first to give their presents to everyone.

"Us first please daddy?" Starbright asked Leonardo.

He smiled at her. "Go ahead." He said as she watched the girls grab four presents from the tree. They gave one each to the guys. They looked at the small flat boxes in confusion.

"Mommy helped." They said proudly.

Katherine was smiling warmly. The brothers looked at the boxes and then opened them. Inside was a small rectangle with two handprints. One was Starlight's and the others was Starbright's.

The brothers looked at the pieces of fired clay in shock. "So you always have something to remember us by." They said happily. "Until we meet you again."

Leonardo and Raphael clutched their respective 'daughters' to them. "Thank you." The both whispered as they tried to manfully keep it together.

The girls then launched themselves at Donatello and Michelangelo who were also looking a tad misty.

After that it was a flurry of squeals of delight as the girls opened their presents. The adults all laughed at the joy and delight on the girl's faces.

April and Casey gave the gifts they had gotten the guys on their travels. Casey even managed to give her a beautiful necklace, one she had admired in London.

Katherine stood and gave her a gift and Casey one as well. "I didn't have time to go out and get you anything, and so I will admit to re-gifting as it were." She said with a smile.

April opened the gift and was shocked to see a beautiful antique fan. The ivory handles were inlaid with jewels and when she opened it, a work of art was revealed. Painted on the fan's surface was a seascape with a boat and a tower, tiny cherubs painted in gilt. April swallowed and close the fan. "I...I can't accept this." She whispered. "It...it's an 18th century fan from France in absolutely mint condition. This would probably be worth thousands." She said in awe.

Katherine smiled. "You appreciate it. That is what is important."

"But..."April protested.

Katherine ignored her and watched as Casey opened his gift. It was an antique golf club. "Raphael said you enjoyed sports, but I wouldn't recommend bashing anyone over the head with it." Casey looked shocked but nodded. Casey was rather in awe.

They of course had not thought to bring anything for Katherine, but she just waved them off.

Michelangelo gave his brothers his gifts which were a new hoodie for Raphael, Some meditation candles for Leonardo, and a subscription to a science magazine for Donatello.

"Can we give mommy our gift now?" The girls asked in excitement. With a nod the girls gave two gifts to Katherine. "They are from us and the daddies." They said proudly.

The guys looked at the little girls in shock. They looked at the presents as if they too were curious about what was in the boxes.

She opened the first present which was what looked to be an attempt at a mug. It was a little lopsided, and painted with flowers. Katherine's mouth twitched as she looked at Michelangelo and Raphael who blushed. Obviously unbeknownst to them they were helping the girls with their gift to Katherine. "Did Daddy Raphael make the mug?" Katherine asked. 'The girls nodded."And you both and Daddy Michelangelo painted the flowers?" They nodded extremely pleased with their mug. "Well I think this is the best mug I have ever seen." She said with a warm smile. Raphael and Michelangelo blushed harder.

Leonardo and Donatello looked at each other, now knowing what was in the other box. Katherine opened it and looked at the vase. It was better done than the mug. Dragonfly's decorated the surface. Katherine sent a warm look to Donatello and Leonardo. "Thank you, all of you. They are beautiful." She said sincerely.

Katherine put her gifts beside her and stood. She walked over to the tree and pulled out four gifts.

She sat back down and watched as they each opened their gifts. For Leonardo she gave him a leather bound copy of a magazine that first published Edgar Allen Poe's _The Raven_. Michelangelo received a first edition copy of the Golden Sentry, Raphael received an autographed chair used in the ring by Ice Cold against the Freemason, both had signed the chair, and for Donatello she had gotten him a telescope.

The guys were in obvious awe over their gifts. "Mommy there's one more." The girls said to Katherine.

She smiled as she motioned to the tree. "This is the special one." She said softly. "This is for all of you." She said to the brothers. "Leonardo, you should do the honours. It is heavy." She said as Leonardo brought the box from the tree to the table.

Leonardo undid the bow and the box lifted from the base. Leonardo dropped the lid to the ground as he looked at the statue in shock. There was a grey stone figure of a sleeping rat about the diameter of a soccer ball. The rat's body and tail curled protectively around four baby turtles.

"So he will always be with you, and always protect you." Katherine said softly.

"Did you...you?" Leonardo struggled.

"I carved it, yes." She said with a self depreciating smile. "I spent a summer learning how the ancient Greeks carved their stone sculptures. I had never really tried to do something as complicated as this though. But I think it turned out well."

April looked at it in awe. It was a work of art.

Leonardo stumbled over to Katherine's chair and she jumped as Leonardo fell to his knees in front of her. He put his face in her lap and clutched her. "It...it even looks like him. How do you do it? How?" He whispered. "How do you rip away every defence I have and lay bare my soul?" He asked her as he looked at her.

She put her arms around him. "It was supposed to make you smile, not make you sad Leonardo." She said as she looked at Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, all of whom wore similar expressions of shock and not quite sadness, but a happiness that brought tears to their eyes.

"Hey look, this one's got Raph's beak." Michelangelo pointed out.

Leonardo stood and brought Katherine with him. He pulled her into a bone crushing embrace. "Thank you Kitten." He whispered.

"When did you have time to do this Kitten?" Donatello asked as he looked at the statue.

"After I came here I began it. I couldn't sleep much and it gave me something to do." She said with a shrug.

"But, you even managed to get the nick in his ear right." Donatello said in shock.

Katherine just shrugged and smiled. "The stone chooses the form, the artist merely wields the tools." She said in a deep voice."That was the Mason I trained under. Brilliant man. He also said 'let people think your mistakes are purposeful.'" She said with a laugh. "I always imagined Master Splinter as a little bit of a scrapper, the nick just seemed right."

The rest of the evening passed in a flurry of laughter and games with the girls.

* * *

**Raphael** pulled Katherine close to him as they watched the girls playing with their toys. Michelangelo was laying on the ground playing with Starlight who was playing with a dollhouse, while Donatello was helping Starbright put together a model of a dinosaur. Leonardo was chatting with Casey and April.

"Thank you Kitten." Raphael said quietly. "You've made Christmas feel like Christmas again."

She looked up at him. "I'm just glad that everyone is happy." She said with a smile.

Raphael looked down at her. "You really mean that, don't you?" He asked in surprise.

"Of course I do. My favourite part about Christmas was always seeing family and being with friends. It has never really been about the presents. Though," She smiled as she looked at the mug he had made. "In some cases the presents are too special for words." She said with a soft smile.

"How did we ever get so lucky?" He asked her.

"Four brothers uneasily sharing one woman. I wouldn't say that was lucky." She said to him with a quirk of her lips.

Raphael shrugged. He didn't like it and knew she was going to choose one of them when this whole thing was over, but for some reason at this moment, everything felt right, as if it was the way it was supposed to be.

"Whatever happens, whoever you choose, I'll never regret knowing you Kitten." He said to her softly. Even though it would break his heart if she chose one of his brothers, what he said was true.

She smiled as she kissed him. She pulled away. "I'm heading off to bed, it has been a long day."

Raphael nodded. "I'll be right there." He said as he let her go. She said her goodnights to everyone and walked out of the living room.

He walked up to Leonardo, April and Casey. "Can I talk to you a sec Leo?" Raphael asked him.

Leonardo nodded and they walked over to a quiet corner. "You stayin' up with the girls?" He asked his older brother. Leonardo nodded. Raphael looked down at the statue Katherine had carved. He reached out and pet the rat. "How does she do it Leo?" He asked his brother.

Leonardo's eyes widened with shock, then he shook his head. "I don't know Raph. I really wish I knew. It doesn't seem like it should be possible for someone to just...know you so well, to know you better than you even know yourself." Leonardo looked at him. "Have a good sleep Raphael." He said as he went to turn away.

Raphael frowned and caught his brother by the shoulder. Leonardo looked at him in confusion. "No lectures. No telling me to keep my hands to myself and for Kitten to keep hers to herself?" He asked his brother.

Leonardo looked at him. "No." He pulled away from his grasp and went to sit down with Starlight who handed him a doll.

He looked after his brother in shock.

He slowly made his way upstairs. He opened Katherine's door and found her already curled up in the center of the bed. He gently closed the door and strode to his room. He changed into his sweats and brushed his teeth as his mind turned over the fact that Leonardo had said okay.

He walked down the hall and into Katherine's room. He closed the door and walked to the bed crawling beside her. She turned and curled into him. He clutched her to him fiercely. He closed his eyes. "Leo's lifted the ban." He whispered in her ear.

She looked up at him in shock. "I can touch you. I can finally do what I've wanted to do for weeks and now that I can, why can't I seem to do it?" He asked her desperately.

She laughed quietly. "Because you know that Leonardo is being an ass...again."

"He's still not okay with all of this, but he is doing what Leo does best, looking out for everyone else, no matter how much it hurts him. That bastard." Raphael growled.

"That about sums it up." Katherine said looking at him.

He looked down at her. "Part of me want to rip off all your clothes say screw him, but the other half of me really wants Leo to be okay. Damn him!"

"If you are going to punch him, do it tomorrow okay?" Katherine said as she snuggled into his side.

He looked down at the woman in his arms in shock. "Condoning physical violence Kitten?" He asked her.

She chuckled. "As brothers it is almost a necessity. So are we in for another stunning performance tomorrow, should I shine up the Oscar?" She asked.

Raphael grinned evilly in the dark. "It is as good as won Kitten."

Katherine sighed. "Too bad I won't be able to see it, oh well. Don't be gentle Raphael." She said to him.

"Wasn't planning on it. Bastard ruined my night. But I figure with Leo being awake all night, he is going to stew, all damn night." Raphael said maliciously.

"Goodnight Raphael." She said as she pulled him in for a kiss.

"G'night Kitten." He said softly as he pressed himself into her. "I'm going to floor the bastard." Raphael growled.

* * *

**Raphael** knew exactly where to find his brother. He figured he probably had tried to sleep but couldn't. He and Katherine hadn't gotten out of bed until somewhere around noon. They had gotten dressed and basically just chatted on the bed for a bit, just to make Leonardo stew even longer. Raphael pasted a self-satisfied grin on his face and strolled into the library.

"Hey Leo, you look like hell." He said to his older brother. "Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked as he perused the bookshelves pretending to look for something. "You know where that copy of Alice in Wonderland went? Kitten sent me to look for it." He lied as he watched his brother out of the corner of his eye.

Leonardo looked pale and pulled. He had dark bags under his eyes, in fact his brother looked almost ill. He almost wanted to tell him that nothing had happened, just to get the look of loss off his brother's face, but Katherine was right, he couldn't be gentle.

"It's over on the table Raph." Leonardo said quietly as he watched the flames dance in the hearth.

"Thanks." He said happily. He snagged the book and flipped it open stalling, waiting for his brother to break, to finally ask him.

"So, did you sleep well?" Leonardo finally asked to break the silence.

Raphael feigned surprise. "Sleep?" He asked. He thought about it. "What little I got, I suppose it was good." He said with a leer.

If it was possible, Leonardo paled even more. He ignored his brother's pale face. Now it was time to make his brother squirm.

"Leo, Kitten is...magnificent." He said earnestly. "To finally be able to touch her, do more than touch her." He said softly looking away from the anguish he saw in his brother's eyes. "Kitten lives up to her nickname Leo. She's a hellcat in bed. All she wants is more. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but we figured it out, and she's got some interesting kinks. Did you know she's studied the Kama Sutra Leo!" He asked his brother who looked as if he was alternating between rage and hurt. He ignored his silent brother whose fists were clenched together tightly, knuckles white. He looked his brother straight in the eye. "Do you know what it's like to make love to the woman you love Leo? To feel her as she spreads her legs and lets you slide yourself into her moist warm depths?" He asked. He could hear Leonardo's teeth grinding together. "No?" He questioned. His fist flew at his brother's face. He hit him square in the jaw but Leonardo only stumbled back. "Well neither do I you bastard!"

Leonardo looked at him in shock. "You are a stubborn, egotistical, idiot." He growled. "You don't have to martyr yourself Leo. If you are not okay with us touching her we'll wait. We don't like it, but we will wait for you to be okay with it. Kitten knows it is going to take time to wrap your head around sharing her, and that's fine, but don't pretend to be okay with something and then make yourself sick afterwards."

Leonardo opened his mouth as he rubbed his jaw. "Since when are you okay with sharing Raph? I seem to recall you saying you would never share her." His brother growled.

Raphael couldn't help the blush that crept across his cheeks. _What was he supposed to say, that he had already basically shared her with Michelangelo and he hadn't had a problem with it? _That would come out all wrong so instead he said, "I don't know Leo. I honestly don't know when I went from not okay to okay with sharing. All I know, is that I would rather have her, then go through a lifetime of never having her. Something is trying to kill her Leo and I can't lose her. She needs all of us to protect her. So I will share her for now, even with you." He ground out.

He looked down at his hand and shook it. "Damn, I know I can punch harder than Kitten, how the hell did she manage to floor you?" He asked his brother who was looking at him.

Leonardo smirked. "I expect you to punch me Raph, I never expected her to punch me, and besides she's got a really wicked right hook." Leonardo went serious. "Thank you Raphael." He said softly.

"Leo, I know I probably don't say this...ever, and I know I always get under your skin and try to find ways to piss you off, but...you're my brother and I love you. I would never do anything to purposely hurt you. Of course I am a bastard so if you hurt me first, I will get you back." He said with a shrug.

"Merry Christmas to you too Raph." Leonardo said as he walked towards him. He hugged his older brother close.

He pulled out of his brother's hug. "Kama Sutra Raph? Playing that one up a little too much. I should have guessed just by that." Leonardo said to him.

"Merry Christmas Leo." He said as he walked to the library door. He paused and threw over his shoulder. "Oh, the whole Kama Sutra thing, that was the only thing that was true." He said with a wicked grin as he closed the door gently on Leonardo's stunned expression.

Raphael chuckled to himself. _Almost worth it_. He thought to himself.

* * *

Awwwhhhh. =)


	31. Chapter 31

Thank you Forgottenforever and rinpup14 for your awesome support! You guys are awesome!

Alrighty all. This is kinda a bad chapter for the guys...just a warning...

* * *

Chapter 31

**Leonardo** watched his friends and his family quietly. Casey and April had decided to stay for New Years. Katherine and April had their heads together planning something for New Years Eve, but they weren't sure what.

Kathrien looked at everyone who was assembled in the kitchen. "Alright after dinner April and I have planned a surprise. Your clothes are all in your rooms, and boys, no masks." She said with a smile.

"We playing dress up Kitten?" Michelangelo asked as the girls clapped with excitement.

She smiled and winked. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Leonardo looked at Katherine who was currently sitting in Donatello's lap. Her arms were around his neck, her cheek leaning against the top of his head. Donatello smiled at something she said to him.

He looked away. _He could see how happy his brothers were_. _So how come he still burned with jealousy? _He asked himself. _Why did it take all of his willpower not to rip her from his brother's arms, and why did it feel like it was getting worse? _He asked himself.

_"_Hey you okay bro?" Raphael asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said to Raphael.

"Well let's get a move on, Kitten wants us all to get dressed." Raphael said to him. Leonardo grimly nodded. _Tonight_. He thought to himself then frowned at his errant thought.

* * *

**Michelangelo** happily donned the clothes that Katherine and April had laid out for him. He smiled. He took off his mask and lay it on the bed. He quickly ran down the stairs in excitement. Katherine and April had locked everyone out of the living room for the entire day saying they were preparing the room for the New Year's Eve festivities.

He met his other brothers and Casey at the bottom of the stairs. They were all dressed in identical period clothing. The all wore pale breeches, black tailored coats, black vests and frothy cravats around their throats.

Michelangelo smiled at his brothers. Leonardo glared at him. He frowned slightly, but was distracted as Starbright and Starlight skipped down the stairs. They were each wearing purple dresses with pink flowers in their hair. The smiled proudly and did a twirl. They all clapped their appreciation.

April gracefully walked down the stairs next in a floor length green gown that hugged all of the right places. Casey whistled as she smiled meeting him at the bottom where he dipped her into surprisingly graceful kiss. They laughed at this and whistled.

They turned back to the stairs where Katherine sashayed down the stairs. She wore a low cut red gown that hugged everything right. It swirled around her legs as she walked down the stairs. Red full arm length gloves covered her hands and arms and she held a fan in one hand. Michelangelo's jaw was already on the ground but Katherine had pulled out all the stops. Her hair had been swept up into an array of curls. Katherine never wore makeup but tonight she was. Her eyes were done in smoky black, her lips were blood red wto match her gown.

"Stunned silence." Katherine said with a smirk. "I suppose that means I clean up well huh?" She said as she took Raphael's arm then Donatello's."Welcome to the 1830's boys and girls." Katherine announced as she threw open the doors revealing the living room which had been transformed into a early 19th century salon. There were tables, chairs, and couches strewn about here and there. An area had been cleared away for what looked like dancing. Katherine walked over to a gramophone and put it on.

"Not period, but I can't play the piano." She said with a shrug. Music began to play. She took Donatello's hand. "May I have this dance?" She asked him.

"I...I...don't know how to dance." Donatello stammered in horror and embarrassment.

Katherine laughed. "Then I suppose it is time to learn."

The party began. Michelangelo danced with Starlight, Raphael danced with Strabright, Casey and April danced together. Partners were switched and everyone was having a good time. Coats, vests and cravats were eventually discarded by the men, and high heels by the women. Michelangelo laughed as Raphael trod on Katherine's foot again. He looked over at his oldest brother who didn't seem to be enjoying the festivities. He watched as he threw back a glass of wine. Michelangelo frowned. It wasn't like Leonardo to be this much of a downer. He hadn't even danced with Starbright or Starlight.

He looked at the two little girls who seemed to be watching Leonardo with concern.

He strolled over to his eldest brother. "You doing okay Leo, you seem a little down, everything okay?" He asked.

His brother looked at him and smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Sure Mikey, everything's going to be just fine."

His brother strolled off after that.

He frowned. _That was a little weird._

They rang in the New Year with shouts and laughter and Michelangelo watched as Leonardo quietly watched everyone. Leonardo finally walked over and pulled Katherine aside for a moment. She frowned at him, but nodded.

Leonardo left the room and a few minutes later Katherine left as well. _Well at least maybe Katherine could find out what was wrong with his older brother._ Michelangelo looked around the room and wondered where Starlight and Starbright had gotten to.

* * *

**Katherine** walked into the library. She had noticed that Leonardo had been acting strangely all night and she was at least glad that maybe he would talk about what had been bothering him.

She looked around the library and watched as Leonardo emerged from behind the door closing and locking it behind him. Katherine frowned as she took in the fact that Leonardo was now wearing his swords strapped to his back, which wasn't that unusual, but still...He had removed his coat, vest and cravat as well.

"It's funny you know." Leonardo began. "I don't know why none of us thought about it sooner."

Katherine tipped her head to the side assessing Leonardo. Something wasn't right. His mannerisms weren't right.

He looked at her, the flames casting a golden glow over his face. "Thought of what sooner?" She asked. His eyes were in shadow as he advanced towards her. She took a step back.

"Instead of tracking you down millennia after millennia killing you, we should have just sullied your light. So simple really." He said as he looked at her.

Katherine felt the blood drain from her face as Leonardo drew one of his swords and launched himself at her.

She turned to run but he was faster. He slammed into her hard pushing her against the wall. He took her by the neck and dragged her up the wall, sword at her throat.

She grabbed his arm as she struggled against him.

He chuckled.

There was a noise, a choked, frightened sob. "Let go of mommy!" Starlight yelled.

Leonardo was crushing her windpipe, but he was distracted. She kicked out hard getting him in the groin. He gasped as he let her throat go. "You little..." He ground out as he pulled the other sword from its scabbard. He launched himself at the girls. They screamed in terror as the swords arched towards them. Katherine grabbed a sword from a suit of armour, pulled her arms back and with all of her strength striking his carapace.

"Hey, you are supposed to be paying attention to me!" She taunted Leonardo as he swung around to fac her. "Run! Get Raphael!" She shouted, as Leonardo's blades struck her sword. She had never really handled a sword before and the one she held was a real long sword. The thing felt like an awkward useless weight in her hands. She fell back under his strength. He laughed as his blades struck at her. She felt pain blaze across her cheek and warm blood begin to trickle down to her chin. She rolled out of the way. "Who are you?" She asked him.

He smiled as he managed to lash out a foot kicking her in the stomach. Her breath left her lungs in a painful whoosh of air.

He reached down and grabbed her by her hair hauling her up. He pulled her to the desk where he flung her down on the wooden surface. He sheathed his one sword grabbing her throat again his eyes traveling down her body.

"You want to kill me, fine, but let Leonardo go." She managed to choke out.

He laughed humourlessly. "Oh I am going to kill you, make no mistake, and I will vacate this abominable body, but first, I'm going to sully that beautiful bright light of yours." He said as his sword cut across her stomach. She felt the blade bite shallowly into her skin. With his hand still holding his Katana he ripped the bottom of her dress off. She began to struggle.

* * *

**Raphael** looked at Donatello in concern. His brother had suddenly stopped what he was doing. "Something's wrong." He said as his head turned towards the door. "Katherine's scared and hurt." He said suddenly.

Raphael frowned, but his attention went to the door as Starlight and Starbright barrelled into the room. Tears were streaming down their faces as they choked on their sobs. Both were pale, faces filled with fear. "The bad man is trying to hurt mommy!" Starbright wailed.

Raphael felt his blood run cold. "Where?" He asked as the girls pointed down the hall to the library where he heard a piercing scream.

"April, Case, look after the girls!" Raphael shouted as he ran from the room followed by his brothers. He ran down the hall and tried to open the library door. The handle turned but he couldn't push it open. There was a muffled scream and the crash of something hitting the floor. He slammed against the wooden door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Here daddy, we and the man will help. You have to save mommy." Starlight said as she and Starbright touched the door. The door flashed and he rammed against it again. This time it burst open. He took in the scene before him and pushed Starlight into April's arms. "Get them upstairs April." He ordered.

The room was plunged in darkness lit only by the flames that danced in the grate. Leonardo had Katherine pushed onto the desk. The light hit the Katana blade that was placed against Katherine's throat, a hand placed roughly over her mouth.

Leonardo looked over his shoulder at them. "You really think you can stop me?" He asked.

Raphael shook the horror off him as he took a step towards his older brother. Rage roared to life and burned through him.

"One more step and I slit her throat." Leonardo growled.

Raphael clenched his fists in fear and anger. "Get the hell off her Leo!" He roared. Blood rushed through his ears, his breath quickened and his heart pounded in his chest. He knew his brother wanted Katherine all to himself, but he hadn't thought, hadn't dreamt his brother would threaten her. He grimly looked at his brother and came to the concllusion that Leonardo had snapped, that he had completely lost it.

"Let go of her now!" Donatello yelled fiercely.

"Heh. Not until I'm finished, and when I am finished, I am going to kill her." Leonardo said as her tore Katherine's underwear from her body. Katherine let out a muffled cry which turned into a sob.

Raphael looked at Leonardo in horror. _He wasn't, he wouldn't. Oh god he was going to rape her._

"I don't know why I never thought to do this before. It is so simple, so easy. Why keep her pure, it just invites trouble. Better to sully her, render her powerless, and no good for him to use. Sure, I will Fall but I think it will be worth the sacrifice." Leonardo said through hooded eyes. He reached down and pulled open his pants. Katherine struggled.

Leonardo chuckled. "He wants this you know. His thoughts burn with the need to possess you." He let go of her mouth.

"Not like this." Katherine whispered.

"It is all the same. You think you are better than the animals that rut in the dirt? You are no better than them, you are so below Him you can't even grasp your insignificance. And this creature. He is nothing but an abomination. I should wipe the planet of all of you while I am here." Leonardo growled at her.

"This is your last warning Leo! LET. HER. GO. NOW!" Raphael yelled as bile choked him. He was going to have to kill his brother, he didn't see any other option.

"That isn't Leo, Raph." Donatello growled picking a sword up off the floor. The sword looked wrong in his passive brother's hand. Rage burned through his younger brother's eyes as he began to circle his brother who he claimed was Not Leonardo.

"Don't you dare threaten them." Katherine growled at Not Leonardo.

"You are in no position to make threats little light." Not Leonardo said as he forced himself between her legs. He laughed. "Don't struggle." Not Leonardo said as he tried to rape her.

Raphael saw red as he launched himself at his brother's back. "Raphael stop." Katherine begged. "Don't."

Leonardo had pulled his other sword the tip now pressed it against his throat. Not Leonardo smirked.

"What have you done to my brother?" Raphael asked menacingly.

"Does it matter? I will kill you all when I get through with her." Not Leonardo said with a malicious grin.

"Get out." Katherine growled. Not Leonardo looked at her in surprise. Tears mixed with the blood on her cheek. She drew back a hand and hit Not Leonardo in the center of his chest, palm flat open.

Not Leonardo fell to the ground where he began to laugh. "Was that supposed to do anything but tickle little light? You think you can get me out of this body?" He taunted

Katherine slid off the desk. She glared down at Not Leonardo. "I said GET OUT! She screamed as she pushed a blue ball of power into his chest. Power exploded from Leonardo's body, the image of wings burning into the carpet.

Katherine fell to her knees. Michelangelo threw his shirt around her and pulled her into his arms as tears coursed down her cheeks.

Raphael knelt down in front of his brother. He wondered if she had killed him he was lying so still. He reached out and found a pulse. He quickly made his brother decent as April and Casey burst into the room followed by Starlight and Starbright.

"He's gone!" Starbright and Stralight said in unison as they looked at the carpet surrounding Leonardo.

Katherine began coughing violently. Starlight and Starbright looked at her with worried eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Raphael roared.

"Not Hell daddy," Starlight said as she pointed to the image of feathered wings burned into the carpet. "Heaven." She said softly.

Raphael froze. "Wait. You're tryin to tell me that what possessed Leo was...an angel?" He asked in shock.

Donatello knelt down and traced his fingers across the scorched carpet. The sword he held gripped in his hand clattered to the ground as his brother looked at his hand in shock as if he hadn't even realized he had grabbed the weapon.

Starlight nodded.

Donatello looked at Starlight. "But angels are supposed to be...angelic and good." Donatello said to her.

"Not all angels are good Daddy Donny, just like all demons aren't evil." Starbright said to Donatello. "But mommy exorcised an angel." Starlight said grimly.

"So she got rid of the bas..bad angel?" Raphael asked in confusion not liking the look of sadness on Starlight's face.

"Mommy's only mortal. It takes far more power to exorcise an angel than it does to exorcise a demon." Starbright said.

Raphael looked at Katherine who had pulled her hand away from her mouth. Her hand was full of blood that she had just coughed up, her nose and ears wet with blood where she had bled. Raphael paled as he took in her face which was chalk white, her eyes glassy.

"Donny take Kitten up to her room, Mikey you help me with Leo." Raphael said as Michelangelo stood up, Katherine in his arms. Michelangelo handed her off to Donatello and strode over to help him haul Leonardo off the floor.

"April, Case, take care of the girls." Raphael said to them.

Raphael and Michelangelo managed to drag their unconscious brother to his room and throw him on the bed. "You think he will remember any of this Raph?" Michelangelo asked him in a worried voice.

"I hope not Mikey, but I don't think Leo's going to be that lucky." Raphael said softly.

"What do we do now Raph?" Michelangelo asked in a small voice.

"I want to go see if Kitten's okay." He said as he walked out of his brother's room. He felt ashamed, but he could barely stand to look at Leonardo at the moment. Even though he knew it hadn't been his brother, it had still been his taunting voice and his brother's face.

Donatello was standing in the hallway looking at Katherine's door, a lost look in his eyes.

The door opened and April walked out. Raphael looked at her in confusion. "Casey is putting the girls to bed. They are exhausted." April closed the door behind her.

"How is she Donny?" Raphael asked.

"I don't know." He said bleakly. "April thought it would be best if I didn't...If we just left her for a bit." Donatello finished lamely.

"Well I'm going in to..." Raphael began but was cut off by April.

"She doesn't want to see you Raph." April said quietly.

"But..." He began.

"She doesn't want to see any of you." She said softly.

"April we can't just..." Raphael said desperately.

"Right now, it isn't about what _you_ want Raph." April said with a tinge of anger in her voice.

Raphael deflated. She was right. He couldn't even imagine what she was feeling at the moment. Rage burned through him. He couldn't even kill the bastard who had tried to do this to her either, or had done... He looked at April misery filing his voice. "April did he..?" He couldn't even ask the question.

"I don't know Raph. It really wasn't something I wanted to ask her." She whispered quietly.

Raphael nodded wretchedly.

A keening sound came from Leonardo's room. Raphael ran down the hall and into his brother's room. Michelangelo was struggling with Leonardo who was thrashing on the bed. Leonardo let loose another scream of abject misery and horror. Tears coursed down his cheeks as he thrashed.

He ran to help Michelangelo pin Leonardo to the bed. "Donny!" He shouted as Leonardo thrashed harder.

"Leo, Leo calm down, you have to calm down, he's gone Leo, he's gone." Donatello said to his brother as he grabbed his brother's face in his hands.

Leonardo's eyes were so big all of the whites were showing. The absolute horror and misery that filled Leonardo's eyes made Raphael ashamed he had, even for a moment, blamed his brother in any way.

"Leo, it's okay, you're going to be okay." Donatello said to his brother.

Leonardo closed his eyes and sobbed broken heaving sobs. Raphael sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled his older brother into his arms. Raphael held him tightly until Leonardo couldn't cry anymore. Raphael closed his eyes against the tears that trickled down his own cheeks. Katherine wouldn't let them near, but at least they could comfort their brother.

Finally Leonardo's wracking sobs ceased and he slumped in his arms. He looked at Donatello in concern. "He's exhausted." Donatello said to him.

Raphael lay his brother down on the bed. "I know you fought the bastard Leo." He said softly to his brother. "Stay with him Mikey." Raphael said to his baby brother. He dragged Donatello out into the hall. April was standing in the hallway looking pale. Casey had lain a comforting arm across her shoulder. "Let's go to the kitchen." He said as he walked down the hall with feet that felt like lead.

They entered the kitchen in silence. Raphael sat down heavily on a chair and put his head down on the cool wood of the table. He closed his eyes.

"There was nothing we could have done Raph." Donatello said softly as he sat down on the chair next to him.

"You think I don't know that Donny!" He yelled as he stood up and punched the surface of the table. He shook his hand out and threw himself angrily back in the chair. "Angels and demons. How the hell are we supposed to protect her from them Donny?" He asked desperately. "They can get into our bodies. Any one of us at anytime could become possessed by one of these things!"

"I know Raph." Donatello said miserably. "I know."

* * *

Wow. That was rough...thoughts, opinions?


	32. Chapter 32

Hello all, well the last chapter was a little rough, and this one basically deals with the fallout. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Thank you so much to forgottenforever, I love Athrun and rinpup14 for your awesome reviews! I love getting reveiws!

* * *

Chapter 32

**Katherine** looked at the man who stood at the end of her bed. His was still indistinct, as if his features still had not fully formed yet, but they were getting close. "There has to be a way to protect them." She said to the man in a voice that nearly broke with restrained emotion. She tried to pull herself together. She didn't have time to be wasting it on tears, she had work that needed to be done. She looked at the man even though knew she would not receive an answer.

She was running out of time. She didn't know how she knew but she did. But she had promised that she would fight. She closed her hand into a fist.

She wanted them to leave, she wanted them to get out of the house and go back to the lair, but she knew they wouldn't leave, so she had to find some way to make them all safe.

She closed her eyes tightly. She imagined the room where she had locked all of the memories of her past lives. She unlocked the door and walked into the massive library. "Kaethryn." She called. The young teenager appeared before her. "It all began with you." She said looking at her. "But why? What makes you so special?" She said as she walked around the figure of the girl. "Kaethryn do you know why this is happening?" She asked the figure.

Kaethryn looked at her and shook her head. Katherine frowned. Kaethryn was a Pictish princess, she had a small amount of Talent, she would call it. But all that meant was that she was very intuitive, and had an affinity for healing herbs. She was very good with mixing medicines and diagnosing illnesses. She frowned. She was very in tune with the earth and worshipped a pagan goddess.

"Kathlynn." She called as the girl appeared beside Kaethryn. She pondered the other girl. She had been accused of being a witch, but she had the same Talents as Kaethryn, except she was able to see the reverend for what he really was. And unlike Kaethryn, Kathlynn had been a Puritan. _Well that wasn't any help. _She thought to herself.

_So why was she different than these two?_ For one she was a lot older, and a lot more powerful. She was more intuitive as was proven by the case of _Knowing _Donatello had been shot. She had healed Donatello, as opposed to using healing medicine to do it. She had also exorcized an angel, which had had hurt like hell. It had felt as if she was burning from the inside out, but she had been determined to push the bastard out, even if it killed her. Luckily for her it hadn't, but she knew she had done _something_, broken _something_, but she wasn't sure what.

"But why angels _and_ demons?" She asked. It made no sense. She could see one or the other, but both? What was she that both Heaven and Hell wanted her dead? And why, if they kept killing her, did they have to keep killing her? Why was she reborn over and over again into a never ending cycle of birth only to be hunted down and killed?

"So either of you know how to protect against having angels or demons possess the men I love?" She asked them.

Kathlynn shook her head, Kaethryn paused in thought. "There is always a price for using power." She said softly.

"Fine, what is the price?" She asked.

"There are different prices for the amount of power needed. Your own power, blood, your life, your soul." Kaethryn said to her. "A magic circle will protect those you love."

Katherine frowned. She needed to get outside. She would have to draw a circle around the entire house. She walked out of the library, closed and locked the door.

She opened her eyes and looked at the man. "Do you think between us we will have enough power?" She asked him. He of course remained silent.

She heard Leonardo begin to scream then. She closed her eyes as she tried to stamp down the images and feelings. She had caused this. It was her fault Leonardo's mind and body had been violated. He was as much a victim as she was. She was just thankful that the angel hadn't succeeded in what he had set out to accomplish. She was sore, she was bruised, but other than that, physically, she was fine. Mentally, she wouldn't be fine until Leonardo was fine. She listened until Leonardo stopped screaming.

She slid painfully off the bed. She walked to the bathroom and started the shower. She looked at herself in the mirror. The cut on her face needed stitches. She pulled off Michelangelo's shirt and painfully removed the remains of her dress. The cut on her belly was thankfully shallow.

She stepped into the shower and washed away the scent of the angel. She covered the tears on her face with the water that ran down her cheeks from the shower. She shook away her misery and tried to clear her thoughts.

She knew they were all hurting right now, but she had things to do first before she could face them again, especially Leonardo.

She got out of the shower and dried herself off. She dressed warmly and pulled on Leonardo's trench coat which was sitting in her closet. She really needed more of a winter coat but she didn't want to risk running into anyone.

She walked back into her bathroom, pushed open the hidden door and walked into the passage that would lead her to the center of the house.

She looked down at the grass at her feet. The illusion of the house was beginning to fade. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

When she had begun to wonder at why she was _really_ here, she had dug into her family tree and encountered no Great Uncle Carin Ráth. She had googled the names separately and come up with Carin and Ráth or Rath, as being the same thing. Which was basically a faerie mound, a place of magic where the descendants of the Tuatha de Danann, the Sidhe, retreated to sing, to dance and to gather.

This meant of course that her house was not actually a house. She wasn't really sure what it was, just as the man was not really a man. She didn't know what he really was.

Sometimes it felt as if the house were a giant tree, sometimes a sacred grove and at other times she felt as if she were buried beneath the earth. But was it really all of the above or none of the above? She wasn't sure. Sometimes she would glimpse what was really there, a flicker of an image out of the corner of her eye.

She walked down the darkened passageway. Of course it wasn't dark to her. To her the passage was lit with mushrooms and toadstools that illuminated the path in bright greens, pinks and purples.

She entered the center of the house and looked around. There was a circle of trees in the middle of a darkened moonlit meadow. A white hart lifted his head and looked at her. The moon glinted off his horns, his ears flicking as he acknowledged her presence and resumed grazing. She looked to the center of the trees where a flattened stone was positioned. A dagger lay on the stone.

Her lips quirked grimly. "I refuse to kill the hart." She said to the man who stood behind her. The hart was not real, he didn't exist, he was a symbol of magic, of sacrifice. "Kill the hart, spill his innocent blood, make him pay the price to give me more power." She said softly shaking her head. "I refuse to take the life of one of the men I love to protect myself. I will pay the price to save all of those I love, no matter the cost." She said with determination as she walked up to the stone. She picked up the double edged, silver dagger by its dark red, wooden handle.

She took off Leonardo's trench coat and pulled up her sleeve. She cut through the flesh on her arm. She watched as the blood dripped onto the flat grey surface of the stone only to disappear. She wiped the blade of the dagger through the blood on her arm coating the blade. She walked to the far wall of the room that appeared to be a room again. She lifted a tapestry of with the image of a unicorn enclosed within a golden circular pen.

She opened the door and emerged outside. The wind whipped through her. She looked at the house which flickered and glowed in the moonlight. She knelt down and dug the blade into the snow striking the frozen earth below. The snow around the blade began to melt as she drew a circle around the house. She used her blood, having to constantly smear more blood on the blade, and shoved power into the circle as she went. Power burned through her as blood began to drip from her nose ears and from between her lips.

* * *

**Donatello** looked at Raphael, April and Casey. Grimly he stood up. "I need to check on her April. The cut on her cheek at least needs to be stitched up." He said as he strode to the door. His flesh was beginning to crawl again. Something wasn't right.

"Donny." April said to him.

"She can hate me later April, she needs to be looked at. We've given her time, and she can have all the time she needs _after _I make sure she is okay." Donatello said over his shoulder.

Raphael stood and followed him. "Raph..." He began.

"Don't worry Donny, I ain't comin' in. I'll just wait in the hall, maybe check on Leo, see if Mikey needs anything." Raphael said to him softly.

Donatello nodded as he ran up the stairs and knocked gently on Katherine's door. He wasn't expecting an answer so he slowly opened the door. He peered into the darkened room. The bed was empty.

He flung open the door and looked around the room. He looked in the bathroom which was also empty, her shredded dress laying on the floor. "Damn it!" He yelled.

Raphael ran into the room. 'Donny what's...?" He looked around the empty room. "Donny where is she?" Raphael asked panic in his voice.

"She's probably in the center of the damn house, but we can't get there unless the house wants us to find her." Donatello said with frustration.

Raphael looked at him in confusion.

Donatello remembered then that Raphael didn't know about the man who followed Katherine around and was, but wasn't, the house. He filled Raphael in as he pushed the hidden door open.

They entered the dark passageway together. "Hey Donny, why does it feel like I'm walking on grass?" He asked.

Donatello cursed wishing he had brought a light of some sort. "Probably because you are." He grumbled as he felt his way down the passage. His hand hit air. He felt with his foot and felt the first step of a grass covered stair. "Here Raph, there is a staircase that leads down. Be careful." He said as he slowly made his way to the bottom of the steps. He felt around for the door and opened it. The room was dark. He stumbled over to where he knew the couch to be. He cursed as his shin hit the wood table next to the couch. He felt around the table and found the box of matches. He found the lamp, removed the glass top and lit the wick. He replaced the glass and looked around the empty room. His eyes fell upon Leonardo's trench coat.

"She was here." He said as he picked the coat up.

"So where did she go?" Raphael asked.

Wind whipped through the room. Donatello's skin ceased to crawl as he looked to where he knew Katherine to be. Katherine was standing by the far wall. She was blue with cold, her face was bloody and her arm was bleeding. She held a bloody dagger in her hand. She looked at him with dull eyes.

Donatello swallowed. "Katherine," He said gently. "It's just us, put the dagger down." He said slowly.

She fell. The dagger skittered across the floor as he ran to her side, but Raphael was faster.

"She's frozen Donny. Her hair is literally frozen." Raphael said in panic. "What the hell was she doing outside, and whose blood is on the dagger?" He asked, voice shaking.

Donatello picked up the dagger and looked at her arm. "I think it is hers." He said softly. "We need to get her warm." He said. Raphael handed Katherine to him and stood. He grabbed the lamp and threw it into the fireplace. The hearth blazed to life. Raphael strode to the couch and grabbed a blanket gently wrapping it around her.

Donatello frowned at the blanket. He was sure it hadn't been there when they had walked into the room.

"Okay where the hell did she just come from. How did she go from being in the house to outside, and back again?" Raphael asked as he walked over to the wall. A unicorn tapestry hung on the wall. Raphael lifted the tapestry revealing nothing but dark wood panelled walls. "I don't understand any of this Donny." Raphael said in frustration.

Donatello looked down in the woman in his arms. He looked at the bloody dagger. _He didn't understand it either._

They sat in silence until Katherine's hair had thawed and she had returned to a more normal colour.

They took her back to her room. Donatello cleaned and stitched up her cheek as well as her arm. It was all he could do for now. He stood and motioned for Raphael to follow him. As much as he wanted to stay and look after her, he knew they needed to leave. He looked at the dagger sitting on the night table. Raphael had cleaned her blood off, but they had decided to leave it. He wouldn't blame her if she felt as if she needed protection against them now. He closed his eyes in dread and sorrow. He didn't know how to fix what had happened, didn't know if there was a way to fix it.

He closed the door gently behind him, and walked to Leonardo's room.

Leonardo was awake. He was pale and looked ill. He had large dark circles under his eyes.

Michelangelo looked at them gratefully. Leonardo looked at them and he curled into a ball closing his eyes tightly. Donatello sat down gently on the bed. Leonardo moved as far away from him as he could get.

"Leo." Donatello said gently. Leonardo flinched at the sound of his name and pulled himself in tighter.

"Leo, it isn't your fault." He said gently.

A sob escaped Leonardo's lips. Donatello looked at Michelangelo who was looking lost and close to tears. "Hey Mikey do you think you could maybe go check on Casey and April?" He asked his baby brother.

Michelangelo gave a worried nod and left the room. Donatello could see Raphael standing by the end of the bed, arms crossed, no emotion on his face.

"Leo." He said gently as he reached out and touched his brother's shoulder. Leonardo flinched violently away from his touch.

Donatello wasn't sure how long he sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his wrecked brother, but there was nothing he could say, nothing he could do to make it right. He looked at Raphael who gave a slight shake of his head. He stood. "If you need anything Leo, we're here." He said softly.

He walked from the room gently closing the door behind him. "We need to get some sleep Raph. It's nearly morning."

"Shouldn't someone stay with him?" Raphael asked softly.

Donatello looked at the door. "I don't think there is anything that we can do Raph, and I think our presence is making him worse. He thinks he betrayed her, and by extension, us."

Raphael sighed and slid to the floor in front of his brother's door. "What's he going to do Donny? Is he going to try to leave?" He asked.

"I'm not sure Raph. Leo's never been a coward. I can't see him just sneaking out, it would hurt his idea of honour too much."

"You don't think he'd..." Raphael asked.

Donatello frowned as he looked at the door. "His swords are still in the library, but we'd better make sure he doesn't have access to anything he could hurt himself with." He said wretchedly.

Raphael frowned at the door. "It would be just like that idiot to think that the only way to atone for this would be with his life." Raphael growled crossing his arms in frustration.

* * *

**Michelangelo** looked around the kitchen. It was getting close to dinner and everyone had been plunged into a deep gloom. Katherine had locked herself in her room all day, not answering their repeated knocks or questions or opening the door, and Leonardo was still a mess. He felt lost and alone and he didn't know what to do to fix what had happened.

He looked at April who was holding a cup of hot tea in her hands. Raphael and Casey were in the training room blowing off some steam, while Donatello was sitting in the hallway waiting for either Katherine to let him in, or for Leonardo to talk to them.

Michelangelo closed his eyes and put his head down on the table. "How do we fix this April?" He whispered to her.

"You can't Mikey." She answered softly. "They will have to fix it." She said as he lifted his head from the table and looked at her.

"Daddy Mikey, are mommy and daddy going to be okay?" Starbright asked him.

Michelangelo looked at her in shock. She was sitting in the chair right beside him and judging from April's expression she hadn't seen her come in and sit down either.

He looked at her in agony. _How do you answer a question like that to a child?_ He wondered. Starbright crawled off her chair and into his lap. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He clutched her close. He was hard pressed to stop the tears that were welling in his eyes from falling. "I don't know sweetheart." He choked out.

She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. She grabbed his face in her hands. She looked at him solemnly. "Mommy's trying too hard." She said quietly.

Michelangelo looked at her in confusion. Donatello, who was holding Starlight's hand, walked into the Kitchen.

"What is she doing Starbright?" Donatello asked her in worry.

Starlight shrugged. "Protecting everyone."

"How is she protecting everyone?" Donatello asked her.

They shrugged again. "We don't know. We're hungry." They said in unison. Donatello closed his eyes in frustration.

Michelangelo put Starbight down and grabbed two bowls to pour them some cereal.

Michelangelo put a hand on Donatello's shoulder. "Donny, I know it's frustrating, but they are only 5." He said to his brother."That makes them what, in kindergarten, if that."

"I know." Donatello said deflating.

"What's going on Donny?" Raphael asked walking into the room with Casey.

Donatello shrugged. "Starlight, what do you and your sister know about angels and demons?" Donatello asked them.

They frowned together as if they were thinking really hard about the question.

"Angels live in Heaven and demons live in Hell." They said together.

"Yes, but what else do you know about them? Can we stop them?" Donatello asked desperately.

They looked at each other. "We've never met any angels or demons. Auntie Mon doesn't like demons, she always calls Uncle Azzy Demon, but he isn't one. And mommy doesn't seem to like angels very much." Starlight said with a frown.

"Gee, I wonder why?" Raphael mumbled softly.

"Anything else? You said it takes more power to exorcize an angel than a demon." Donatello said desperately.

Starbright nodded. "That's cause angels aren't supposed to possess people. Uncle Lucy says that demons are easy to get rid of because the demons that possess people are weak, lower class demons who can't create a mortal body. But an angel is already powerful enough to create a mortal body to walk on the mortal plain with, so they are harder to get rid of because they are just more powerful." Starbright paused in thought. "Mommy didn't kill the angel, she just sent him back to Heaven. So he could try to come back after he recovers from being exorcized."

"So how do we stop him from tryin again? How do we stop from being possessed by angels or demons?" Raphael asked.

Starlight and Starbright frowned. "Can't you feel it? Mommy's already made sure the angels and demons can't get in."

"When you said she was protecting everyone, that is what you meant?" Donatello said in shock.

They nodded in unison. "It's okay Daddy Donny. Mommy always protects everyone." Starlight said with a smile.

* * *

**Donatello** slowly walked back upstairs, Raphael followed behind him.

"I don't like this Donny. I don't like this one bit." Raphael growled. "We are supposed to be the ones protecting her, how come she is the one protecting us? And how the hell is she doing it, and how do the girls know about it?"

Donatello sighed. "Raph if we had more than just a small amount of spiritual ability at all, we might be able to help, but this is beyond our area of expertise. As for how she is doing it, even the girls don't know what she is doing, they just...I think they can sense power. They knew that Leo wasn't Leo." Donatello finished softly as he entered Leonardo's room.

His older brother was still curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed. They sat with him for a while. Told him he didn't have to worry about the angel anymore, but he was unresponsive. He finally stood up to leave.

"My fault." Leonardo whispered.

"Leo, an angel possessed you, how is that your fault?" Raphael growled. Raphael had been silent so long Donatello had almost forgotten he was there.

"I let him in." Leonardo said wretchedly.

"What do you mean you let him in?" Donatello asked softly.

"Don't you see, I wanted her all for myself, I couldn't share, didn't want to share and he knew it. I was jealous, so jealous I couldn't stand it. I was jealous every time one of you held her, kissed her, whispered in her ear. But worst of all, I was jealous of how happy you all were. You were all okay with sharing her and you were _happy_. How could you be happy knowing you weren't the only one in her heart, knowing that she hadn't chosen yet?" Leonardo asked miserably.

"Leo, stop being an idiot. So you felt like that, doesn't mean you let the angel in." Raphael growled.

"Then why did he choose me?" Leonardo choked out. "And because of that...I...I...she's never going to be able to even look at me again, let alone forgive me for what I did." He said miserably."Tell her that I just need to get my things and then I'll leave." Leonardo said as he sat up.

"Leo, you did not ask for this!" Raphael yelled at him. "So you felt like any other red blooded male out there! So what! And as for leaving, you are not going anywhere!" Raphael roared at him. "Katherine is..." Leonardo looked at him desperately, as if he needed to know how she was, but couldn't bring himself to ask. Raphael stopped and looked at him as if not sure what to say.

"Katherine won't see any of us Leo. She's locked in her room right now." He said softly.

"No, she can't." Leonardo said with a stricken look on his face. "She can't hate all of you, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Leo, I can't speak for her. I have no idea what she is feeling, we'll just have to wait until she decides she wants to see us." Donatello said quietly. He stood. "You need to rest Leo, get some sleep and we will see how things stand in the morning."

Leonardo lay miserably back down in his bed.

* * *

Some questions answered, probably some new questions as well..hmmm...=)


	33. Chapter 33

Kinda a short chapter, but enjoy!

Thank you forgottenforever for reviewing pretty much every chapter! And thank you I love Athrun as well! rinpup14 thank you and hopefully this chapter makes up for the sadness!

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Chapter 33

**Leonardo** fought against, but lost the battle against sleep. He was so very tired. He had tried so hard to fight the angel, but he couldn't win against him. It was like he was nothing but an observer in his own body. He could see and he could hear, but he couldn't control anything that his body was doing. It was the most horrifying experience he had ever had. But he figured it was nothing compared to what Katherine had suffered. Having someone you love betray you. He knew there was nothing he could do to make up for what he had done. No punishment would ever come close to atone for what he had almost done.

It was still dark in his room when he opened his eyes. He looked over at the nightstand and saw the glint of silver in the moonlight. He looked at the dagger. He smiled humourlessly. _Had one of his brothers left this for him, known what his intentions were and was allowing him his honour?_ He wondered_._ _Would it be cowardly to kill himself without apologizing, or would it be kinder for Katherine to not have to face her attacker again, to know that he could never hurt her again_?

"Only you Leonardo, would see a dagger sitting on your nightstand and believe it was meant for you to use upon yourself." Katherine said softly. She sat in chair in a darkened corner of his room. His whole body froze. He felt as if he had ice in his veins as dread, horror, pain, guilt and sorrow washed through him in a painful torrent. He didn't know how she did it. She was the only person he knew who could catch him completely unaware of her presence, and she was the only one who ever seemed to know exactly where he was, even when hidden in the shadows.

She stood up and walked over to him. She was wearing a white silk housecoat, something he had never seen her wear. She picked the dagger up off the night table and studied it intently, finger touching the dagger's pointed tip. He looked at her and swallowed. No words could express his regret, his hurt, his horror at what he had done. His throat had closed up, and his tongue felt too big for his mouth. She looked at the blade and looked at him with emotionless eyes. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. If she wanted to kill him he would let her. He would make it easy for her. He pulled his shirt off. "My plastron," He swallowed. "It covers my heart, you will have to stab straight down behind it to reach my heart. Strike hard and true, make it quick. That is all I ask."

"I am well aware of where your heart is Leonardo. I do not need you to tell me where to strike to kill you. There are numerous other unprotected areas I could choose that would be just as effective." She said, voice devoid of any warmth or feeling.

He nodded, his eyes still closed, face still turned away from her. He felt the cold steel press against his skin just above his plastron. The blade moved tracing the line of his throat to stop just under his chin. "What I should like to know is, what makes you think that this blade was meant for you? " She asked as he felt the cool steel leave his skin. His eyes shot open in shock as he looked at her. Her robe was hanging open slightly exposing the top of her breasts. The blade pressed directly over her heart. "I can take the place of the white hart." She whispered.

He went cold with fear. "Katherine, what are you doing?" He asked desperately.

She looked him in the eyes calmly. "If it had not been for me, the angel would never have possessed you in the first place. He was after me, not you. You were just a tool he used to attempt to attain his goal." She looked at him steadily as a drop of blood formed and slowly trickled down her pale flesh.

"Katherine, no, stop. Please stop. It was my fault, he almost...because..."

"He hijacked your body Leonardo. You did not ask for that. You were violated just as much as me, more so because your mind and your body were no longer your own. That must have been horrifying." She said to him softly."The fault is mine for putting you in the position where the situation happened in the first place, therefore the punishment must be mine." She pulled the dagger away from her chest to plunge it through her heart.

He lashed a foot out knocking the dagger from her hand. The dagger skittered across the floor.

She looked at him calmly, his heart beat wildly in his chest. He stood up quickly not even thinking about his actions. He clutched her to him in fear.

"So if it terrifies you and breaks your heart at the thought of losing me, why do you believe I would not feel the same way?" Katherine asked softly into his neck.

He clutched her harder. "You can't feel that way about me Katherine. I almost..." He choked.

"No, the angel did, not you. I knew it wasn't you Leonardo. I knew as soon as I walked into that room that it wasn't you." She said softly.

"My own brothers didn't even know it wasn't me, how could you have known?" He asked desperately.

"Because I never just use my eyes, they sometimes lie." She said softly. "You didn't sound right, didn't move right, and didn't smell right. But his eyes, there was nothing of you in his eyes." She pulled away and looked at him. "Make it right." She said.

"I don't know how. I can never make this right." He said wretchedly.

"Do you blame me?" She asked.

He looked at her. "No. Never." He said softly.

"And I do not blame you, but you have to make this right."

"How?" He asked in a barely audible whisper.

"Kiss me, kiss my lips, kiss my cuts, my bruises. Take away the memory and replace it with a better one, for both of us." She said softly as she leaned in and kissed him.

He wanted to take the memory away but he didn't know if he could. She pushed him and they fell backwards onto the bed. She rolled over pulling him on top of her. "Katherine I can't." He said desperately.

"Yes you can." She said softly as she pointed to the stitched up slash on her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. She moved her hands and pulled open her robe revealing her naked body beneath. She then pointed to the cut on her chest from the dagger. He kissed her chest, her blood was hot and coppery. There was a bruise beginning to form on her belly from where the angel had kicked her. He stopped. He looked up into her eyes. She looked down at him steadily. He kissed her belly. Goosebumps formed on her stomach. He looked up at her and watched as her breasts tightened. He felt himself stir. He kissed his way across the shallow cut on her stomach and stopped. He took a breath and pulled himself farther down her body. He carefully pushed her legs open. The insides of her legs were badly bruised and scraped. He could see where the angel had scraped his shell along the delicate flesh between her legs. Anger coursed through him, but he pushed it down. Katherine had taken care of herself and exorcized the bastard. He began at her knee and worked his way up her thigh. He switched legs and worked his way up the other leg. He pulled his head up and looked at her.

"You aren't finished yet Leonardo." She said softly. "You can't touch, but you can still kiss.

He looked down and spread her wider. He kissed the delicate flesh between her legs and then licked. His tongue rasped along as he tasted her. He closed his eyes as emotion crashed through him. He had never thought he would ever touch a woman, let alone taste one. He flicked his tongue and marvelled at her taste, at her gasp of pleasure. He swirled and flicked his tongue and was encouraged by her moans. She lightly grabbed his shoulders as her body arched off the bed. She called his name in pleasure as she pulled him up. She kissed him fiercely as her hand went beneath his pants.

Leonardo shook his head. He was sore as well, but he figured he was less sore than she was. "Katherine I can't let you..gagh." She squeezed his hardened length. Pleasure began to build as she gently stroked him. Her hands disappeared as she moved to take his pants off. He helped her and she rolled him onto his back.

"I'll be gentle." She whispered as she took him into her mouth. She gently built the pleasure up until his orgasm roared through him making him buck. He managed to muffle his scream as he yelled into his pillow.

He pulled her up and kissed her. He could taste himself in her mouth. He clutched her to him in a fierce hug. He closed his eyes. The memory and the horror wasn't gone, it was still there, would always be there, but she didn't hate him, didn't believe he had betrayed her, and that acted like a balm against his injured soul.

"Would you have done it?" He asked fear coursing through him again at the thought of losing her.

"Would you?" She asked him.

He looked at her in shock, not because of the question she had asked him, more because looking into her eyes he knew she would have done it. "Why?" He whispered.

She just closed her eyes and put a finger to his lips. "Go to sleep Leonardo, I love you." She said softly kissing him.

He closed his eyes and wondered why she would have done it, because he didn't think that it would have been the same reason that he would have had.

* * *

**Raphael** looked at Katherine's door. He sighed. Michelangelo came up behind him followed by Donatello. Casey and April were staying up with the girls.

"Goin' to bed?" He asked his brothers.

"Yeah." Michelangelo said gloomily.

Donatello nodded. "I'm just going to check on Leo before I go to bed, see if he needs anything."

Raphael nodded and walked with Donatello down the hall to Leonardo's room.

"Donny, you think Kitten will forgive him?" Michelangelo asked.

Donatello's shoulders drooped. "I don't know Mikey. I don't know if she even blames him."

"Then why doesn't she want to see us?" He asked miserably.

"I don't know Mikey." Donatello said unhappily.

Donatello opened Leonardo's room and stopped dead in the doorway.

Raphael looked at his brother's shocked face. Dread ran through him.

"Is he okay, move out of the way Donny." Raphael growled as he shoved his younger brother out of the way.

Raphael stared at Leonardo who was sleeping soundly, Katherine wrapped in his arms. Michelangelo pushed him out of the way. They all looked at the couple in silence.

Raphael walked to the bed. He looked down at Katherine. He knelt down beside her. "I was so worried." He whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. She smiled at him, love filled her eyes as she reached a hand out to him. "I'm sorry I worried you." She said softly. "I had to make things right before I could face you again." The smile left her face replaced by regret and sorrow. "It was my fault this happened to him."

Raphael touched her cheek gently. "Is he okay?"

"He will be." She said with a gentle smile.

"Katherine, can I stay?" Michelangelo asked in a small voice.

"Of course." She said holding out her hand. Michelangelo took it and crawled in next to her burying himself in her side. Raphael frowned at his baby brother. "Move over Mikey" He said as he crawled in next to him.

"It's okay Mikey." He said to his baby brother. "We'll protect her."

"Come to bed Donatello." Katherine said softly. Donatello crawled into the bed next to Leonardo.

"Katherine," Raphael asked miserably.

"The angel did not succeed Raphael." She said softly.

Raphael nodded in relief and closed his eyes.

* * *

**April** and Casey had just finished putting the girls to bed and they had wearily made their way upstairs. April looked at Katherine's door as she passed. She felt miserable and did not know what to do for the younger woman. Her shoulders slumped. She walked to Leonardo's room and decided to make sure he was alright. The guys said he was in pretty rough shape, but she hadn't had the courage to actually sit with him in his misery. She also didn't think Leonardo would appreciate her witnessing his breakdown.

Light was just beginning to stream through the curtains hitting the figures on the bed. She blinked in shock at the bed. Katherine was sleeping between Michelangelo and Leonardo. Raphael was sleeping on his stomach one arm over the side of the bed, while Donatello lay on his side, his carapace butting up against Leonardo's.

"Looks like you have everything handled." She whispered to the woman who was looking at her.

"Thank you April." She said softly as she closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

April gently closed the door and walked down the hall into her and Casey's room. She gently closed the door behind her, a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong April, is Leo...?" Casey asked her.

She looked at Casey and walked over to him letting him pull her into his warm embrace. "Leo...I think Leo's going to be okay." She said softly. Casey nodded. "I think Katherine made it right somehow." She said quietly.

"So Katherine's okay?" He asked in surprise and relief.

"She seems to be." She answered.

"Why do I hear a but coming on?" Casey asked her.

"It's just...I think I have finally figured out what is bothering me." She said slowly.

"Which thing, besides everything?" He asked with a shake of his head.

April frowned. "The guys all sharing her for now, and the girls and angels and demons. The whole situation is just..." She shook her head. "But that isn't really what I am talking about. Watching the guys and Katherine I have had this feeling, but I couldn't really figure it out, but...I am in awe of how much they love each other." She said looking into Casey's eyes.

He frowned at her."I don't understand April, so they love her, I love you, how can you be in awe of them?" He asked in confusion.

"I love you Casey, I love you with all of my heart, but...the way they love her, the way she loves them...it's different. Its..." She waved her hands around. She knew what she was getting at, but couldn't figure out a way to explain it. "It is like Romeo and Juliet, like Paris and Helen of Troy, Lancelot and Guinevere. What they have, is that kind of love, the kind of love that love stories are written about." She said softly.

"I don't know who those people are April...except that Romeo guy, he sounds familiar." Casey said looking at her in confusion.

"The thing is Casey, that those stories are so moving because their love was so great, burned so fiercely, so passionately, that you cannot help but be moved by it." She said solemnly.

"Okay...Not seein' the problem April." Casey said looking at her with concern.

"With all of those love stories, the depth of their love is awe inspiring, but it is their tragic endings that make the stories so moving, so utterly heart wrenching." She said miserably. Casey looked at her in surprise.

"Their love burns so brightly, because it's time is so short." She said burying her head in Casey's shoulder.

"But those girls April, they say that the guys and Katherine are their parents, but you are tryin to tell me that what, it isn't going to end well? I can't believe it April." Casey said with a shake of his head.

"I know it doesn't make any sense Casey, it is just this feeling I get, and as for the girls, I don't know how they fit into this. Katherine told me that she knows she isn't their mother." She shook her head. "How are they supposed to stop angels and demons from killing her Casey?" She asked desperately.

"Hey, if anyone can find a way April, it's the guys." Casey said to her confidently.

"I hope you are right." She said worriedly.

* * *

thoughts, opinions?


	34. Chapter 34

A little bit of a shorter chapter. But it had to be done. =)

Thank you to rinpup14 and forgotten forever for your awesome reviews!

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Chapter 34

**Donatello** looked at Leonardo. "How do you feel Leo?" He asked as he sat at the kitchen table eating some lunch. All of his brothers were sitting around the kitchen table. Casey and April were still sleeping as was Katherine. They had decided to let her sleep, they had needed to talk anyway.

Leonardo closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Truthfully Donny?" He asked quietly.

Donatello looked at him in confusion. "Yes truthfully."

His bother opened his eyes and looked at him. "Why does it always have to be her?" He whispered."Why is she the one always making things right? Why is she always saving us? I should have been the one who protected her, and instead I was used to nearly..." Leonardo stopped his voice choking on his words.

"Leo, that wasn't your fault." Raphael growled.

Leonardo sighed. "I know that Raph, that's not the point. Instead of trying to fix things, instead of trying to make things right, make sure she was okay, all I could think about was my own horror, my own misery at what I had almost done. I tried to think of ways that I could atone for my betrayal, and not once did I think about what she would want, what she would _need_. My only though was of what my code of honour demanded." He said wretchedly. "Then she...she comes to _me_, she helps _me_, saves _me_. _She_ made things right, not me." Leonardo looked at him desperately. "Why? Why didn't she hate me, why wasn't she scared of me, why was it her who had to make things right?"

Donatello looked at his desperate brother. "Leo, Katherine...doesn't think like you do." He said softly. "She views the world differently than I think any of us could even comprehend, especially now. Her thinking is very logical. She knows it wasn't you and it wasn't your fault, therefore she assigns no blame to you. She probably more blames herself for putting you in the position of being able to be possessed in the first place. I can't pretend to understand how Katherine's mind works, but from what I have seen she protects us all, even if it is from ourselves. She knew she had to make things right, because she was the only one who _could_ make things right. Even though you were just as much a victim as her, you don't see yourself as the victim, but the perpetrator. She knows you would think this way Leo, she knew she would have to fix it, but first she had to keep us safe."

"But why does she have to always fix everything?" Leonardo said miserably.

"Because Katherine loves us enough to know _how_ to fix it." Michelangelo said softly.

"So if I love her so much, how was it that I couldn't even begin to think how to fix it?" Leonardo asked Michelangelo.

"Because you _couldn't_ fix it Leo. Don't you get that? In the state you were in, you couldn't fix it. Katherine does what needs to be done, no matter the cost." Michelangelo said softly looking at the can of pop sitting between his hands.

"But how can I love someone who won't let me protect her?" Leonardo said desperately.

Michelangelo looked at his brother seriously. "Because you didn't need someone who you needed to protect Leo. You always protect us, watch over us, guide us and comfort us. You needed someone who could protect you, watch over you, guide and comfort you."

Leonardo looked at him in stunned silence. Michelangelo looked at his stunned brother and gave a small smile. "Think about it Leo, I mean really think about it. You probably thought your perfect mate would be a woman who would be a delicate flower who always needed to be protected. A woman who needed your constant attention; a woman who listened to every word you said and who would never challenge you on whether it was right or wrong; a woman who bowed to your authority. That was your image of your dream woman wasn't it? That was why it took you so long to finally admit you loved her, because she was everything you didn't want. She can't fight, but she's brave enough to try. She is so low maintenance it is almost unwomanly. She doesn't need a constant barrage of compliments or attention to make her happy. She challenges almost everything you do. She tips your world on its side and you hate it because you always want your world to be perfect and orderly, but she won't let you, and there is part of you who stands in awe of that."

Leonardo closed his eyes and put his head down on the table. "When'd you get so smart Mikey?" Leonardo grumbled into the wood of the tabletop.

"I'm not smart Leo, but I'm your brother, I get how you think." Michelangelo said with a shrug. "She is to us what we need her to be. Raph needed someone who wasn't afraid of him, who would stand up to him, but not constantly be trying to change who he was. She taught him how to control his temper without him even knowing it. By making him realize that he _could_ control it, he was finally able to. Everyone always yelled at Raph to control his temper, and gave him hell because he couldn't, Kitten never did. She practically ignored his tempers and chatted at him as if he wasn't in a blinding rage, which confused the hell out of him, which made him control his own temper because she would say things that would get through the rage. Now Raph still gets mad as easily, but he can control it."

Raphael's mouth hung open in shock.

"Donny needed someone who could bring him out of his shell. Donny's the most isolated of all of us. He's so damn smart he has a problem relating to any of us. The only one he could have a half decent conversation with was April. But Donny needed to realize that there are different kinds of smart. Kitten's smart, but not science and technology smart, not genius smart, but smart none the less. She pulled Donny out of his shell because he wanted to hear what she had to say. And when he talked, she listened. If she didn't understand, she would get him to explain it. We just wanted the results, we never cared how Donny managed to get there, she did." Michelangelo said to Donatello who was looking stunned.

"And what about you Mikey?" Leonardo asked softly. Michelangelo smiled softly. "I never really needed anything. I was happy just the way things were. I laughed, I joked, had my bro's as my best friends, played video games, saved the world, I was good."

"So why do you love her Mikey, if you never needed her to be anything to you?" Leonardo asked.

"I was happy Leo, thing was, I needed someone to see me for who I really was, and she saw right through me the moment she opened her eyes." He said softly.

"What do you mean Mikey?" Raph questioned in confusion.

Michelangelo gave a half smile. "Ask Kitten. Ask her why I am who I am, why I act like I do." He shrugged.

"So if she is everything we need her to be, are we everything she needs us to be?" Leonardo asked Michelangelo. "Is that why she can't choose between us? Is it because just one of us alone can't be everything she needs us to be?"

Michelangelo shrugged. "I don't know Leo."

"But if one of us can't be what she needs us to be, why doesn't she just find someone who is everything that she needs them to be?" He asked desperately.

Michelangelo laughed. "Leo, no one person can be everything you need. That is why you have friends and family, to fill in the pieces that are missing. With Katherine though...you can't choose who to love, you can't just tell your heart to start loving someone, or even stop loving someone. Maybe there is something going on that we can't even begin to understand." He said as he shrugged. "But what I really want to know is, how _did_ Kitten fix it Leo?" Michelangelo asked lifting an eye ridge at him.

His brothers all turned their attention back to him. Red flooded Leonardo's face as his startled eyes met Michelangelo's.

Raphael's eyes narrowed. "You didn't touch her, did you Leo?" He growled.

"She..."Leonardo stopped his face paling slightly. He turned his face away. "She is badly bruised." He whispered.

Raphael closed his eyes in comprehension. "I'm an ass. Sorry Leo."

"No Raph, you didn't know." Leonardo said softly.

"No, but I should have guessed. How badly was she...?" He asked.

Leonardo shrugged. "Badly enough. Donny was right though, she blamed herself, she never blamed me for a moment. She knew it wasn't me. As soon as she entered the room, she knew it wasn't me. Knowing that she knew almost the instant the angel completely took me over, it was like a balm on my very soul." He said softly. He quirked a humourless smile. "She knew exactly what I was planning." He said softly.

"What were you planning Leo?" Raphael growled.

"The only thing my honour would let me do. I felt as if I had betrayed her Raph, betrayed all of you. There was only one way I could atone for my betrayal." He looked at his brother in the eye.

"You're an idiot." Raphael roared. "How could you think that by killing yourself you could have made this right?" He yelled.

"Because I couldn't look any of you in the eye, couldn't even think of looking her in the eye again." He said miserably.

"How do you think we would have felt if we would have found you dead? Did you ever think about that?" Raphael shouted.

"There was a dagger on the nightable." He said softly.

Raphael paled. "What do you mean there was a dagger on the nightable? We made sure there wasn't anything sharp and pointy within reach, just in case you decided to do something stupid!"

"When I opened my eyes, there, glinting in the moonlight like a soft invitation, was a wooden handled dagger. I thought that one of you had left it for me, known what I had intended and left me the ability to assuage my honour." Leonardo said softly.

"We would never do anything like that Leo, ever, you hear me!" Raphael yelled. Leonardo looked at Raphael, fear rolling around in his honey brown eyes.

Leonardo smiled humourlessly. "But it was Katherine who had placed the dagger there."

"Katherine would never..." Raphael began in her defence.

Leonardo ignored his brother's outburst. "But she did, and then she says to me that, 'Only I would see a dagger sitting on my nightstand and believe it was meant for me to use upon myself'. So she walked over and picked up the dagger and looked at me as if expecting something from me, but I don't know what she wants, I don't know what she wants me to do." He said wretchedly. "She looked at me with those eyes of hers, those eyes that strip away everything, every defence, every lie you tell yourself, and all you are left with, is your soul laid bare for her to see. Then she looked at the dagger and there is this look in her eyes as if the dagger is important, that it is something to her, that she is expecting something from it. And she looked at me again and I strip the shirt from my body. I tell her how to kill me. I request only that she strike hard and true and to make my death, at her hands, as quick and painless as she can." He whispered to his shocked brothers. "She then tells me in a voice filled with nothingness, that 'she knows how to kill me. That there are so many other more effective ways to kill me than trying for my heart.' I just nodded, looking away from her as she puts the cold steel of the blade against my skin."

"Katherine. I can't believe she would want your death Leo, she would never..." Raphael said, voice strained, face pale.

He looked at his brother bleakly. "She removed the blade and asked me why I thought the blade was for me." He looked at his pale, horror stricken brothers. "I opened my eyes to see the blade resting over her heart, a single drop of blood trickling down her pale skin. I managed to stop her before she plunged the knife into her heart, and it was almost the most terrifying moment of my life."

"To think I didn't think Kitten went in for the dramatic." Michelangelo said with a shake of his head.

"Do you know what the most terrifying moment of my life was Mikey?" He asked with barely contained emotion in his voice. "When I realized she would have done it. If I had not knocked the blade from her hand she would have killed herself, and I have never been more horrified. I thought the same thing as you Mikey." He said to his silent brothers. "I thought she was making a point. Showing me that she would feel my loss as greatly as I would feel hers. But later I asked if she would have done it, and looking in her eyes, she would have, but I don't know why, why would she have killed herself?" He whispered miserably.

"Because," Donatello began. "Without her, no demons or angels would be looking for her anymore, we would be out of danger. She would have protected us." Donatello finished with grim realization.

"Leo she's not...you don't think she'd..." Raphael said rising quickly to his feet.

"No, because she gave Leo the choice." Donatello said to his brothers. "That is what she wanted from you. She wanted to know if you were willing to risk everyone to try to keep her alive, because if you weren't, she was just going to end it."

Raphael looked at Donatello and strode from the room. He returned a few minutes later to inform them that she was still sleeping soundly.

Michelangelo turned his attention back to Leonardo. "So how did she fix it Leo. She proved her point, but she did something, something that made you blush."

Leonardo flushed with embarrassment.

Raphael narrowed his eyes and sat down at the table, studying him intently.

"She wanted me to make it right." He said looking away from the question in his brothers' eyes.

"How did she want you to fix it?" Michelangelo asked curiously.

"She made me kiss all of her cuts and bruises better." He said softly.

"Wait, she made you do what?" Raphael asked in shock.

Leonardo shrugged. "She wanted me to kiss everything better."

"But, she was bruised..." Raphael said in shock, then his eyes narrowed. "So did you do more than just kiss things better Leo?" Raphael growled.

Leonardo stood up angrily. "What do you want me to tell you Raph? What do you want from me? You want a detailed description, you want a play by play? Do you want me to tell you how I tasted her and how I have never tasted anything so good. How she encouraged me to drive her over the brink and shouted out my name in ecstasy. You want me to tell you how she touched me, took me into her mouth and did things to me that sent me over the edge calling out her name into the night?" He asked furiously.

His brothers looked back at him in shock as he realized what he had said. He slumped into his chair and put his head down on the table. "I'm sorry. He whispered. "I didn't mean to say that. She said I had to replace our memories with better ones, but she only asked for me to kiss her better, I broke. I was the one who wanted to taste her, and the only thing that stopped me from going any further was that anything more would have been painful for her. I would have taken her, made love to her, and never even once thought about the fact that I wasn't supposed to."

He looked at his brothers desperately. "How can I share? How can I take her and be okay with knowing that she would also be with all of you? And yet after everything that happened, how can I deny her, how can I say no to her?"

"Leo, we already share her. We have already shared her." Michelangelo said to him.

Leonardo froze. "What do you mean Mikey?" He asked slowly.

"Well, it's obvious. You would still have been with her even after you knew she had been with Donny." Michelangelo said with a shrug. "I bet the thought never even crossed your mind, did it Leo?" He asked with a smirk. Leonardo looked at him, stunned. "She kisses all of us, sleeps with all of us, hold hands, laughs, and smiles, at all of us. She looks at you with eyes filled with so much love that it is painful to look at. Sometimes you wonder what you did to deserve someone who loves you as much as she does. She looks at all of us with those same eyes Leo. We already share her, you just have to open your eyes and accept it." Michelangelo said to him.

* * *

Awwwhhh little brotherly fluffyness. But that was the second last chapter. So next chapter, the conclusion to Morning Star Part 1!


	35. Chapter 35

Last Chapter of Part 1 all! (I apologize in advance) Hope you enjoy!

Thank you to forgrottenforever, I love Athrun and rinpup14 for your awesome encouragement!

Chapter 35

**Katherine** woke up and found herself alone in Leonardo's bed. The sky was dark which meant she had slept the entire day away. She slid from the bed, took two steps and fell to her knees. She took a deep breath. _I can do this_. She thought to herself as she pulled herself up off the floor. She managed to put one foot in front of the other and made her way to her room without running into anyone. She collapsed onto her bed. She didn't have much time left. A human body was not meant to channel as much power as she had channelled. She could feel it now, the loss of her life force. But exorcizing the angel and erecting the huge circle around the house, had done something to her. She looked at the corner of her room. She watched as the darkened mist solidified into an imposing figure. She smiled at the figure and held out her hand. It was so easy, she had done it so many times before. "Hello, my old friend." She whispered.

* * *

**Raphael** roared as he slammed his fist down on the table. "I can't take this anymore! We can't do anything, we have no idea how to protect her, and we don't even know why they all want her dead. What is she that Heaven _and _Hell want her dead!" Raphael yelled in frustration. Katherine was still sleeping, but Casey and April were awake and just finishing up with making dinner.

"Mommy's like us." Starlight said as she swung her legs back and forth on the chair she was sitting on. Raphael jumped. Starlight and Starbright were now sitting on the chair next to him.

"When did you...? How?" Raphael asked in shock and then shook his head. They seemed to appear and disappear at times. Probably something to do with the damn house.

Starlight looked at him in confusion as if she didn't know what he was so upset about. "We're hungry." They said in unison as Michelangelo put a bowl of cereal in front of each of them.

"What do you mean Mommy's like you?" Donatello asked.

They both looked at Donatello. "Except mommy's human." Starlight said to Starbright.

"That's true." Starbright said as she nodded.

Donatello closed his eyes. "Why do you always say things like that, as if Katherine isn't supposed to be human, what is she?" Donatello asked in frustration.

They frowned. "Well..._this_ mommy's human." They said with a shrug.

Raphael slapped his forehead in frustration. "We know that, but you said mommy is like you, what is that supposed to mean?" Raphael ground out through pursed lips.

They shrugged. "Mommy burns with the same light." Starbright said. Starlight nodded.

Donatello clutched at his heart falling to the ground. Donatello screamed in agony.

"Donny!" Leonardo said kneeling down supporting his fallen brother.

Donatello whimpered in pain, but his attention went to the ceiling. "No." He whispered shaking his head. He managed to scramble to his feet as he ran for the door.

"Death is visiting mommy right now." Starlight said as she took a bite of her cereal and watched Donatello leave with curiosity and concern.

Raphael felt his world tilt as he followed close on Donatello's heels.

Raphael's legs carried him as fast as he could up the stairs hearding towards Leonardo's bedroom, but he stopped at Katherine's open door. "Katherine!" He yelled in fear, pushing past Donatello who was already standing in the room.

All he could see was blood.

He managed to stumble further into the room. He didn't know if there was anyone following him, all he could see was Katherine sitting in the middle of a circle of blood. She looked at him with blood stained lips pulled over tightly clenched teeth, her nose and ears bleeding.

"Run." She said to him. "I can't hold them forever, they are trying to get in and when they do they will kill us all. Run Raphael. Take everyone and run!" She yelled at him.

He numbly shook his head. "I'm not leaving you Katherine!" He said to her as he knelt in front of her.

Her hands were pressed into the blood soaked carpet. "Please Raphael." She said desperately. "Please, please, please."

The house rocked. It felt as if the house had been hit by an earthquake. Katherine screamed as blood began trickling from between clenched teeth.

"Katherine." Donatello said as he knelt beside her. He was still clutching at his heart as if he were still in pain. He reached out to touch her but he couldn't. His hands struck an invisible shield.

The house was rocked again, her eyes lost focus for a moment. Her eyes regained focus as she looked away from Donatello and back to Raphael. "There is a cemetery, right across the street. It should be hallowed ground. Take the girls there, you should be safe. They are demons and they are hungry. They will kill you and eat you if they catch you. Run. Run as fast as you can. Go to the center of the house lift the unicorn tapestry, you will end up outside of the house in the forest that surrounds the property." She pleaded to him.

Donatello looked at her in agony. "I can't leave you." He whispered.

She looked turned her attention to Donatello and gazed at him steadily. "Go." She ordered.

Donatello nodded and stood.

"Mommy?" Starlight asked from over Raphael's shoulder.

"Starbright, Starlight, take the bags on the bed sweethearts." She smiled a sad smile. "Good luck." She said to them.

She turned her attention back to him as Starlight pulled the pink backpack onto her back. Starbright pulled a purple backpack onto her back. "Go! I will follow when I can." She said to him.

He shook his head, he wasn't going to leave, he wasn't going to just abandon her. "I'm sorry Raphael." She said, and then she was gone.

April and Casey looked at them in confusion as Raphael, his brothers and Stralight and Starbright all stood in a clearing in the center of a darkened forest, lit by a blood red crescent moon.

"Katherine!" He screamed as he looked at the unicorn tapestry hanging in the middle of the air. The ground shook, cracks began forming beneath their feet. A tree fell as he dove out of the way clutching Starlight close to him as he pulled her out of harm's way.

"What's goin' on" Casey asked in confusion as he clutched at April.

"We have to get out of here!" Leonardo ordered as he ran for the tapestry. He grabbed his arm.

"We can't leave her Leo!" Raphael shouted in panic.

"We don't have a choice Raph, this whole place is coming down and she won't let us back in." Leonardo said grabbing him and Starbright and pulling them towards the tapestry. Donatello had already grabbed April and Casey and shoved them through the Tapestry and into the night beyond.

"No!" Raphael roared as Michelangelo helped Leonardo pull him, Starlight and Starbright through the tapestry and into the night. They stumbled and fell into the snow.

"Come on, what are you sitting in the snow for, you have to get moving!" Katherine yelled at them. She pulled Starlight from his arms and began leading them away from the house.

"Katherine."He said in relief, but horror and fear overwhelmed his momentary relief. Her face and hair were covered in blood as were her hands.

"As soon as we leave the circle the shield will fall and the power I placed into the circle as a decoy in the house won't fool them for long, let's go." She said as she pulled Starlight along, leading them through the forest. He felt it then, the barrier she had erected around the house, and he felt it went they crossed over it and it fell.

Raphael looked into the night sky. He couldn't see anything more than shadowy winged creatures shouting in triumph as the barrier went down.

It was then that they heard the baying of dogs. "Hellhounds." Starbright whispered.

They ran, stumbling over hidden roots and stumps. "Starbright, what do you know about Hellhounds?" Leonardo asked her.

"We...Bask is our Hellhound, and he's really sweet, but...Uncle Lucy said Hellhounds always obey their master and will never stop pursuing their prey...ever. Starbright said in fear.

"But why are they after mommy?" Starlight asked. "Uncle Lucy wouldn't like it."

"We don't know." Raphael growled as Leonardo swung Starbright up in his arms.

Starbright screamed as three black hounds the size of a ponies burst through the forest. Their eyes glowed red as one let out a piercing howl.

They heard the neighing of horses and the baying of other hounds.

"Let me guess, Hell horses." Raphael ground out as he dodged to the left avoiding the massive black shape that launched itself at him.

The forest erupted into chaos as even more black shapes burst through the densely treed forest. He kicked at the nearest to him hitting it in the head momentarily stunning the creature.

Screams rent the air as he heard the pounding of hooves behind him. "Find her!" A man's voice yelled. It was the same voice he remembered from Katherine's nightmare. "Kill the abominations. Leave the humans...for now."

Rage coursed through him. They were all unarmed, and none of them were wearing outdoor clothing or footwear of any sort. If the demons didn't get them, they were going to freeze to death.

Raphael picked up a large branch from the ground and hefted it, swinging wildly at a hound's head. The hound caught the branch in its mouth chomping it in half. "Great." He growled as he turned to run. He looked around him and realized they had been separated. He didn't know where anyone else was, but he ran in the direction they had been headed. He hoped he could find Katherine, his brothers, the girls, April and Casey. But it sounded like they weren't interested in April, Casey or the girls, which made him feel better.

He was suddenly stuck from behind as massive paws landed on his back crushing him into the snow, the air in his lungs being knocked out in a painful whoosh.

* * *

**Leonardo** was breathing heavily. He had slung Starbright over his back and had been dodging the Hellhound that had followed them. They burst from the forest and onto the driveway that led to Katherine's house. They were now exposed, but the run would be easier. If he could just make it to the cemetery he could leave Starbright there in safety and go back and find Katherine, Starlight, his brothers, April and Casey.

A large shape fell from the sky landing with bone jarring force in front of him. It looked at him and began clicking at him. It looked like a cross between a praying mantis and a human. Multifaceted eyes looked at him as it roared at him through a human mouth. Feelers twitched as it's mantis-like arms slashed at him. He leapt out of the way. "Daddy look out!" Starbright said as he dodged again, the demon somehow getting behind him without him even seeing it move.

He pulled Starbright into the protection of his arms. It's insect wings rubbed together making a chirping sound. Two more mantis demons landed next to the first. They stared at him as if they were confused, then they seemed to come to a decision and attacked. He leapt to the side to avoid the demon's serrated limbs.

"Daddy, you are too slow." She protested. They stopped their attack. They chittered and chirped as they studied Starbright. They crouched to pounce.

* * *

**Michelangelo** and Donatello ran, chased by an enormous hound. "We have to reach that cemetery." Donatello said to him as they dodged under tree branches and tripped over snow covered stumps.

"Then what? Hope we don't freeze to death while we wait until they get bored and leave?" Michelangelo asked in frustration. They had been separated and he was worried about everyone, especially Katherine, covered as she was in so much blood.

"I'm working on it Mikey." Donatello growled as his brother dodged to the left as a hound burst from the thicket. Donatello was grabbed by the shoulder with its massive jaws, razor sharp teeth biting easily through soft flesh. Donatello screamed. The hound shook him like a rag doll, tossing him to the ground.

Donatello clutched his right shoulder in agony as the hound circled him. The second hound bared it's teeth as a feral growl was issued from black lips.

Michelangelo stumbled back trying to guard his injured brother as best as he could.

He lashed out a kick at the advancing Hellhound, while the other hound circled them. The hound caught his leg in its mouth, sharp teeth digging into his leg. He screamed in agony.

* * *

**Katherine** crouched low. She put the little girl under a dense pile of skeletal underbrush hiding her from view. She put her fingers to her lips as she quietly moved away.

She heard a large animal moving through the trees. She could try to run, fought the urge to run, after all, he would find her anyway.

She looked at him as he emerged from the trees. He did not wear a human skin, did not pretend to be anything other than what he was, a demon. She looked into his face as he looked down at her from atop his pitch black Hell horse. The head of the Hell Horse lowered. Smoke curled slowly from its flared red nostrils, red eyes blazed in frustration of the end of the hunt.

The horse reared as the rider controlled his steed. The demon's membranous black wings stretched wide. His red skin was caught in the pale light of the moon. Blackened horns glinted in the night against the darker black of his hair. Yellow eyes bore into her. A smile lit his face as he looked at her. "Hello Kaethryn." He said to her.

* * *

**April** crouched with Casey. They had managed to make it to the cemetery and were now hidden behind the largest tombstone they could find. April shivered with cold and apprehension. They had been the first to make it, and April cringed at the sound of the baying hounds. None had followed them which meant they had all followed everyone else. April didn't know why none had followed and pursued them, all she knew was that she hoped everyone was okay. Casey clutched her close trying to warm her, but she couldn't stop shaking. She closed her eyes in fear as inhuman screams began to rend the night.

End of Part 1

* * *

I know, I know. I am an evil, evil author! To leave it at a cliffhanger, but I thought it was the best place to end it, and begin anew with Part Two. I hope you will enjoy the next installment because this story is going to have 3 parts. I just really hope everyone keeps with this stroy and enjoys it! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and enjoying this story!


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